What If?
by LemonCheese
Summary: Starting at Goblet of Fire, a parallel telling of the story through Hermione's eyes. What if she went with someone else to the Yule Ball? What if he was a Slytherin? What if she fell for him? What if he loved her back? Book quotes included.
1. Chapter 1

_So this is a parallel look at the Harry Potter books. I wanted to write a Draco/Hermione story, but still use the original plot.  
I'm mainly focusing on Goblet of Fire and Half-Blood Prince. Everything in **bold **is a direct quote from the books – which I don't own, no matter how much I tell myself :)_

/\

"**Hermione, Neville's right – you _are_ a girl..."**

"**Oh, well spotted," she said acidly.**

"**Well – you can come with one of us!"**

"**No, I can't" snapped Hermione.**

"**Oh, come on," he said impatiently, "we need partners, we're going to look really stupid if we haven't got any, everyone else has..."**

"**I can't come with you," said Hermione, now blushing, "because I'm already going with someone."**

"**No, you're not!" said Ron, "you just said that to get rid of Neville!"**

"**Oh, _did I_?" said Hermione, and her eyes flashed dangerously, "Just because it's taken _you_ three years to notice, Ron, doesn't mean no one _else_ has spotted that I'm a girl!" Ron stared at her. Then he grinned again**

"**OK, OK, we know you're a girl," he said, "That do? Will you come now?"**

"**I've already told you!" Hermione said, very angrily, "I'm going with someone else!" and she stormed off towards the girls' dormitories again.**

"**She's lying," said Ron flatly, watching her go."**

"**She's not," said Ginny quietly.**

Ginny followed Hermione up the dormitory stairs and went into the 4th-years' bedroom

"So, you're not telling Harry and Ron then?" she said.

"No, I know what they'll say. They hate him." sighed Hermione.

"I thought you did too"

"So did I, but then we started talking in the library when I was researching house elf rights. He's not as bad as he seems"

"I'm not sure 'Mione, Malfoy? You could've gone with one of the Beauxbatons boys, or Viktor Krum. Didn't he ask you?"

"Yeah he did, but I'd already said yes to Draco" Hermione blushed.

"Oh, so it's _Draco_ now?" Ginny giggled.

"Hey, at least I'm not going with your brother! Have you seen those dress robes!?!"

/\

Hermione avoided Harry's questions as they walked down to the Great Hall the next morning. She sat down to receive quizzical looks from Parvati and Lavender. There was _no way_ that she was telling them. She helped herself to some toast and took a sip of her pumpkin juice.

"**Hermione – who are you going to the ball with?" said Ron. He kept springing this question on her, hoping to startle her into a response by asking it when she least expected it. However, Hermione just frowned and said, "I'm not telling you, you'll just make fun of me."**

"**You're joking, Weasley?" said Malfoy, behind them. "You're not telling me someone's asked that to the ball? Not the long-molared Mudblood?**

Draco strutted off, leaving the trio very angry – especially Hermione. Why had he said that? She knew that they had agreed to keep everything quiet, but this was a little out of hand. She got up and followed him into the entrance hall.

"I bet you 5 Sickles that she'll punch him again." Ron muttered to Harry.

Hermione grabbed Malfoy's arm and dragged him out into the school grounds. He looked utterly perplexed as she turned to face him, practically shaking with anger.

"What the hell was that?"

"What the hell was what?"

"I know we're meant to be a secret but why did you have to go that far? You know I hate you calling me a Mudblood."

A faint shade of pink came to Draco's marble-like cheeks as he took her hand.

"I'm sorry Granger, I just was thinking that. Well, don't ever tell them I said this but Potter and Weasley aren't stupid – they'd know something was up if I was being nice to you. Maybe just Potter actually, Weasley _is_ pretty dumb."

Hermione couldn't help but laugh. A cheeky smile spread across Malfoy's face, she couldn't help but melt inside. But she was supposed to be angry. She composed herself.

"I'm still not happy with you Draco. You really frustrate me sometimes!"

"Yeah, but you love me really." he murmured, pushing her against a tree. Hermione almost hyperventilated as he moved closer, brushing his lips against hers. His lips parted and she tasted his bitter-sweet breath. They heard a quiet cough from behind them. A girl with long ginger hair was stood behind them, arms crossed and toe tapping.

"Erm, Hermione?" she said sternly.

Draco jumped back quickly and smoothed his robes, looking at Ginny.

"Don't worry, she knows." Hermione giggled.

"So, much for a secret..." he sighed, "See you later, Granger."

Malfoy swooped in and kissed her lightly, turned and walked back into the castle. Hermione watched every step he took, while Ginny nearly fell over due to laughing.

"I can't wait to see their faces tomorrow night!"

/\

Hermione woke on Christmas morning to find a small pile of presents at the end of her bed. The traditional box of home-made fudge and a pale blue knitted jumper from Mrs Weasley, a box of sugar-quills from Ron and a book about the myth of divination from Harry. She laughed to herself as she flipped through the pages. Her parents sent her a note to say that they'd added some more money to her Gringott's account, and Ginny had given her a new bottle perfume. There was one box that lay unopened in the pile. It was small; and neatly wrapped up in silver paper. She carefully opened it to reveal a pale blue box. Inside there was a silver pendant with a square-cut emerald hanging from it. She didn't need a label to tell who it was from.

"Oh, pretty," Lavender said, peering over Hermione's shoulder, "Who's it from?"

Hermione smiled and said nothing. She took the necklace out of the box and put it on.

"It's your secret man isn't it?" Lavender squealed, making Parvati jump as she returned from the bathroom. Hermione still said nothing.

Ginny also noticed to necklace as they walked to breakfast with Harry and Ron. Hermione still refused to admit to Harry and Ron, which made the latter increasingly frustrated. He carried on questioning as they spent the morning in Gryffindor Tower.

"Hermione, who is it?" Ron whined.

"Ronald, stop asking. You'll find out tonight anyway." she said, closing a large volume that was resting in her lap.

**They returned to the Great Hall for a magnificent lunch, which included at least a hundred turkeys and Christmas puddings, and large piles of Cribbages Wizarding Crakers. **Hermione slyly looked over to the Slytherin table and caught Malfoy's eye. He winked at her and she couldn't help but smile. They managed to briefly stop in the corridor after eating.

"Nice necklace Granger, whoever bought it has taste," he smirked, "Thanks for the Firewhiskey chocolates. How did you get away with buying that?"

"I have my ways," Hermione smiled. _Like confunding in old Flume in Honeydukes_. Her hands locked behind his neck as she kissed him tenderly, "Merry Chrismas, Malfoy." She stepped back and began making her way to meet Ginny in the entrance hall.

"You do tease me, Granger" Draco called after her. She looked back over her shoulder and winked. She met Ginny, who ushered her outside.

**The snow was untouched except for the deep channels made by the Durmstrang and Beaubatons students on their way up to the castle. Hermione chose to watch Harry and the Weasleys' snowball fight rather than join in, and at five o'clock said she was going back upstairs to get ready for the ball.**

"**What, you need three hours?" said Ron, looking at her incredulously, and paying for his lapse in concentration when a large snowball, thrown by George, hit him hard on the side of the head. "Who're you going with?" he yelled after Hermione, but she just waved, and disappeared up the stone steps into the castle.**

/\

"Where's Hermione?" Ron asked as he stood with Harry, Parvati and Padma in the entrance hall. Ron stood out in his maroon dress robes, cuffs and neckline a scar from where he had tried to curse the frills off. "Where's Hermione?" he repeated, attempting to hide his embarrassment as Fleur Delacour passed by in silver robes accompanied by the Ravenclaw Quidditch captain: Roger Davies.

**A group of Slytherins came up the steps from their dungeon common room.** Malfoy lead, wearing dress robes of black velvet with a high collar. He was accompanied by a pretty girl wearing robes made of periwinkle-blue and hair twisted sleekly into an elegant knot. She was smiling nervously. Harry and Ron's jaws dropped as they realised who it was.

Hermione.

_So? like?_

_I was reading the books the other day and came up with this idea. Didn't originally want to use as many quotes (originally it was just the opening conversation with Ron) but they seemed to fit in as I wrote._

_Please R/R_

_Lemon Cheese :)_


	2. Chapter 2

_Thanks to everyone out there! :)_

_The reviews made me smile, keep them coming!_

_Going to work through the rest of the books now, got my ideas together, but feel free to suggest things and I'll thank you if I write them._

_Have to adapt the quotes a bit as you can tell, but I will still put it in bold_

_So, back to the Yule Ball..._

_I still don't own Harry Potter._

**/\**

"**Hi, Harry!" Hermione said. "Hi, Parvati!"**

**Parvati was gazing at Hermione in unflattering disbelief. She wasn't the only one either; when the doors to the Great Hall opened, Draco's Slytherin fan club walked passed, throwing Hermione looks of deepest loathing. Pansy Parkinson gaped at her as she walked by with Blaise Zabini, seeming unable to find an insult to throw at her. Ron however, walked right past Hermione without looking at her.**

The champions were lead to the dance floor to partake in the traditional first song. Hermione stood with Draco, her head leaning on his shoulder as she tried to ignore the hundreds of eyes upon her. He held her close as he glazed out at the decorations of the Great Hall. **The walls of the Hall had all been covered in sparkling silver frost, with hundreds of garlands of mistletoe and ivy crossing the starry black ceiling. The house tables had vanished; instead, there were about a hundred smaller, lantern-lit ones, each seating about a dozen people.** They both tried to stifle laughs as Harry and Parvati graced the floor. He was tripping over his robes and standing on Parvati's feet. Hermione thought he resembled Bambi trying to walk on ice. She caught Ron's eye and he stared at her. A look of horror spread across his face as he realised who she was. She felt Malfoy's body shake as he laughed.

"God, Weaselbee is slow." he murmured. He kissed her cheek and moved his arms lower down her body. Ron scowled.

The floor was opened up to everyone after the first dance. Draco took Hermione's arm and they walked out into the middle of the room. He took one hand in Hermione's, and placed the other on the small of her back. The Weird Sisters then struck up a melodic waltz, and they found themselves floating along to the music.

"I feel like everyone's staring at me." Hermione said, looking at the other dancers over Draco's shoulder.

"Of course they are Granger, you look beautiful." Draco smiled. Hermione blushed and stared into his ice-blue eyes.

"Draco?"

"Yes?"

"Why do you always call me Granger?" she asked

Draco gave a small sigh. "Habit I suppose. Would you rather I call you something else? Hermione? My love? Sweetheart? Light of my darkness?"

"Hermione is fine"

"_My_ Hermione" he mused.

/\

**Ron Glared at Hermione and Malfoy, who were dancing nearby. Padma was sitting with her arms and legs crossed, one foot jiggling in time to the music. Parvati sat down on Harry's other side, crossed her arms and legs too, and within minutes was asked to dance by a boy from Beauxbatons.**

"**You don't mind, do you, Harry?" Parvati said.**

"**What?" said Harry, who was now watching Cho and Cedric.**

"**Oh never mind," snapped Parvati, and she went off with the boy from Beauxbatons. When the song ended, she did not return. Hermione came over and sat down in Parvati's empty chair. She was a bit pink in the face from dancing.**

"**Hi," said Harry, Ron didn't say anything.**

"**It's hot isn't it?" said Hermione, fanning herself with her hand. "Draco's gone to get some drinks." Ron gave her a withering look.**

"_Draco?_" he said. "So it's Draco now? Not Malfoy, or Ferret-face?"  
Hermione frowned at him.

"What are you doing? He's the enemy!" Ron shouted, making Padma jump. Hermione stood up quickly and looked down on him.

"Ron, what are you talking about?"

"Malfoy? _Draco Malfoy_? How could you? Hermione he's a Slytherin! He's..."

"Devastatingly handsome and the light of any party?" A voice came from over Hermione's shoulder. Malfoy passed a glass to her and then turned to Ron and Harry. He smiled sarcastically at the pair. Harry was speechless, while Ron's ears had turned a deep red as he rose to his feet.

"Is this some kind of sick joke to annoy me, just because I didn't ask you straight away?" He scowled at Hermione.

"The world doesn't revolve around you, _Ronald._ And even if Draco hadn't asked me, I still wouldn't have gone with you!"

Malfoy's smile grew after seeing Ron's face, which had become a similar colour to his hideous dress robes. It was wiped off when Moody limped over.

"Trouble in the ranks?" he growled, pale blue eye swivelling in Draco's direction.

"No Professor," Hermione said. "Draco and I were just leaving."

She took Malfoy's hand and lead him away towards the Entrance Hall. Harry watched them leave, pondering on how to calm Ron, who was now muttering under his breath whilst attacking a beef steak.

**The front doors stood open, and the fluttering fairy lights in the rose garden winked and twinkled as Draco and Hermione went down the front steps, where they found themselves surrounded by bushes, winding ornamental paths, and large stone statues. **Hermione could hear the sound of running water, and lead him down one of the ornamental paths to discover a small fountain. They sat down by the edge, Hermione letting her fingers caress the surface of the water. Draco watched her intently as she stared at the patterns made by her fingers.

"Tell me what you're thinking." he said. _Please don't let it be Weasley. _Hermione looked up, withdrawing her hand from the fountain.

"What are we doing here?" she asked.

"What here right now? Sitting in the school grounds, not making the most of the fact that we're all alone?" Draco smiled.

"No seriously Draco, what are we doing?" Her face was serious as he looked into her eyes.

"Hermione, I've grown to care for you, more than care for you. You've always intrigued me. I hung around in the library hoping to talk to you, it was more than getting you to help me with my History of Magic essays." She smiled and moved closer.

"I've grown to more than care for you too"

Malfoy took her face in his hands and kissed her urgently. They were interrupted by a rose blush being blasted apart behind them; revealing Snape presenting a foul expression. Karkaroff was stood timidly behind him. Draco pulled away from Hermione at once and stood up.

"Ten points from Slytherin..." Snape snarled, obviously in a bad mood. Hermione peered around Draco slowly. "And ten from Gryffindor. I'm sure your father will be interested to hear who you keep in your acquaintance, Draco." He strode off, tailed by Karkaroff. Malfoy let out a sigh.

"What will your father say?" Hermione's hand patted his arm.

"I really don't know."

_I feel ashamed by such a short chapter, but nothing else could be said really._

_So finished the Yule Ball part, going to jump forward a bit.  
Trying to work in the second task into the story, and Rita Skeeter's article about Hermione :)_

_Go on, review, even if its anonymous_

_Lemon Cheese_

_xx_


	3. Chapter 3

I'm baack! :D Once again, thanks for the reviews.

Jumping forward now, quite quiet for Dramione, they become more coupley but Ron still isn't pleased. So now Hermione has to try and help Harry with the Second Task...

Okay so the plot it changed lots – because he doesn't take Hermione to the Ball, Viktor and dear Ronnie seem to get on well :)

JKR owns everything, even my brain.

/\

"**She'll be after you next, Hermione," said Ron, in a low and worried voice as they walked quickly back up the street.**

"**I'd like to see her try!" said Hermione shrilly; she was shaking with rage. "I'll show her! Silly little girl, am I? Oh, I'll get her back for this, first Harry, then Hagrid..."**

"**You don't want to go upsetting Rita Skeeter," said Ron nervously. "I'm serious Hermione, she'll dig something up on you -"**

"I don't care, she won't scare me into hiding!" said Hermione, **now striding along so fast that it was all Harry and Ron could do to keep up with her. The last time Harry had seen Hermione in a rage like this, she had hit Draco Malfoy in the face. **How far they had come since then; but he still secretly had his fingers crossed. As though he had been summoned by the very thought of his name, Malfoy appeared from the door of Scrivenshaft's, followed by Viktor Krum.

"What's wrong?" he said, looking concerned.

"Rita Skeeter." Ron scowled through gritted teeth. Whether at the reporter or his best-friend's boyfriend, Harry was not sure.

"Ah."

He put his arm around her, pulling her close to his chest. She was still fuming, growling into his robes.

"Erm hi, I'm Viktor Krum." said Krum, shaking Ron's hand. Ron seemed stunned for a moment, before smiling broadly.

/\

"**You said you'd already worked out that egg clue!" said Hermione indignantly.**

"**Keep your voice down!" said Harry crossly. "I just need to – sort of fine-tune it, all right? **By the way, where's Ron?"

The two were sat at a desk in the library, speaking in hushed tones to avoid a menacing stare from Madam Pince. Books were piled around them as they researched ways for Harry to '_recover what we took_'.

"He's with Krum, again." said Hermione. The two seemed to have become close friends, sitting together at breakfast discussing Quidditch tactics until their throats were dry. Malfoy didn't seem too pleased, no longer was he the centre of attention for having Viktor Krum sit with _him_. The gossip about Draco and Hermione had died down, as far as most people were concerned: Hermione and Draco had only gone to the ball together to annoy Ron. Or at least that was what Ron was telling everyone.

"Sorry," said Ron, collapsing into an empty seat. "I've been with..."

"Krum, we know." muttered Harry, picking another book up from the growing tower.

"**There's a way of doing it!" Hermione said crossly. "There just has to be!"**

**She seemed to be taking the library's lack of useful information on the subject as a personal insult; it had never failed her before.**

"I knew I'd find you here, Hermione." Malfoy appeared from behind a bookcase a few minutes later, sitting down and leaning across to kiss her flustered cheek.

"What are you doing here, Malfoy?" Ron asked sourly.

"Looking for you Weasel, McGonagall wants you. And Hermione for that matter."

"**Why?" said Hermione, looking surprised. **

"**Dunno... she was looking a bit grim, though. I'm supposed to take you down to her office."**

"We'll meet you back in the common room" Hermione told Harry, picking her bag up and taking Malfoy's arm. Ron muttered something sinister under his breath, before following the couple to the door.

"You cheered up about Rita Skeeter yet?" Draco asked Hermione, brushing a strand of hair from her eyes.

"What's the worst she can do? Gryffindor girl dates a Slytherin? Like that hasn't happened before."

"I don't think it has, actually." Ron piped up from behind them.

"No one asked you, Weasley." Draco smirked.

"Draco, be nice."

/\

Hermione's eyes burst open, suddenly realising that she was in the middle of the Black Lake clinging onto Harry's arm. She was still in her uniform, her robes felt heavy as they pulled her down into the water. Harry turned to her to check if she was okay. Harry's other arm was wrapped around a little girl with silvery blonde hair. Hermione recognised her as Fleur Delacour's sister, Gabrielle.

"**C'mon," Harry said shortly, "help me with her, I don't think she can swim very well."**

**They pulled Fleur's sister through the water, back towards the bank where the judges stood watching, twenty merpeople accompanying them like a guard of honour, singing their horrible screechy songs.** She heard Ron shouting from the shore, also in dripping wet robes. She swam towards the sound of his voice, helping Harry with Gabrielle.

A muscular arm reached down and pulled Hermione out of the water, bringing her towards Madam Pomfrey holding a thick blanket. She raised her head to see Viktor Krum looking back at her intently.

"Even after you haff been in the lake, you are very pretty Herm-own-ninny." She blushed.

"You haff a water-beetle in your hair." he said, reaching towards her sodden locks. She impatiently flicked it away and looked down at her feet. Krum continued to inspect her.

"Hermione!" Draco shouted, running hastily over to her. He stopped short at the sight of Krum.

"Excuse me Krum, I wish to speak with _my_ girlfriend."

He hastily tried to put his cloak around her, beginning to take off his green-striped scarf. She felt very uncomfortable, wanting nothing except a warm shower and clean clothes. But she hated people fussing over her.

"Draco I'm fine!" Hermione snapped. Krum smiled triumphantly and walked off.

/\

"**There they are, there they are!" Pansy giggled as Hermione, Ron and Harry walked to their potions classroom. The knot of Slytherins broke apart. Hermione saw that she had a magazine in her hands – Witch Weekly. The moving picture on the front showed a curly-haired witch who was smiling toothily and pointing at a large sponge cake with her wand.**

"**You might find something to interest you in there, Granger!"**

_HARRY POTTER'S SECRET HEARTACHE_

_A boy like no other perhaps – yet a boy suffering all the usual pangs of adolescence. Deprived of love since the tragic demise of his parents, fourteen-year-old Harry Potter thought he had found solace in his steady girlfriend at Hogwarts, Muggle-born Hermione Granger. Little did he know that he would shortly be suffering yet another emotional blow in a life already littered with personal loss._

_Miss Granger, a plain but ambitious girl, seems to have a taste for famous wizards that Harry alone cannot satisfy. Since the arrival at Hogwarts of Viktor Krum, Bulgaria Seeker and the hero of the last World Quidditch Cup, Miss Granger has been toying with both boy's affections. Krum, who is already smitten with the devious Miss Granger, has already invited her to visit him in Bulgaria over the summer holidays, and insists that he has 'never felt this way about any other girl'._

Rita Skeeter's article continued to accuse her of brewing love potions, and featured a quote where Pansy declared her as "_really ugly._" Hermione turned scarlet, thrusting the article into Harry's hands to read. His face too turned red.

"**I told you!" Ron hissed at Hermione.**

"Wait 'til Draco reads this!" Pansy cackled. "He'll think twice before going out with a mudblood!" Harry threw the magazine down on the desk, which was then scooped up by Professor Snape. He produced a most twisted smile.

"I guess we'll have to move these two away from each other so they can stop disturbing my lesson. Parkinson, sit with Potter. Granger, Malfoy."

Harry got up and moved to sit with a very smug Pansy. Malfoy dropped into his empty seat, turning to Hermione with angry eyes.

"Draco, the article, it's..."

"Complete and utter bull, I know," he waved her away, producing his own copy of the magazine and hastily scanning the magazine. "Why is there nothing about _me_ in it?"

/\

_haha, I love Malfoy :D_

_Crammed lots into this chapter, but I wanted to get this out of the way. I don't intend for this to be a very long Fic, even though I'm covering all the way until the end of Deathly Hallows_

_NEARLY CHRISTMAS!!!_

_YAY!!_

_love you guys!_

_LemonCheese_

_xxx_


	4. Chapter 4

_Happy New Year! :)_

_Sorry I've took so long, had a bit of writer's block :( I also realised I had a million and one assignments to do for school – what kind of teachers set coursework essays for over Christmas? They're still not done, I wanted to write this first._

_This chapter isn't my favourite, for quite obvious reasons that you'll see when you've read it._

_But I've got GOF out of the way, only 3 more books to go!_

_JKR owns everything, even my soul._

/\

Draco seemed very distant from Hermione for the next few days, she figured that he'd actually read the article by now. It gave her time to revise for the end of year exams. It was nice not to have him constantly distracting her. But one thing she couldn't get rid of was Krum. He hovered around her when she was in the library, trying to be discreet and hide behind bookshelves. He had noticed the absence of Malfoy and saw it as a chance to get closer. It didn't seem to work however, Hermione just found him immensely annoying.

"I turn around, and he's _always_ there!" Hermione said, as she and Harry completed their Potions essays by the fire in the common room. She tried to spend as much time in Gryffindor Tower as possible, to escape him. He even sat with them at meals, which had she started skipping to stay away. "I'm all for schools making friends from different countries, but this is just stupid! Hasn't he got to prepare for the Third Task?" She furiously began pressing down with her quill, making a hole in the parchment.

"I don't know, but Ron seems to spend too much time with him." Harry said, not looking up.

They continued working until they finished their essays, then left for dinner. Looking out of the window to the grounds, Harry saw three figures. **Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle were standing in the shadow of a tree below. Crabbe and Goyle seemed to be keeping a look out; both were smirking. Malfoy was holding his hand up to his mouth and speaking into it.**

"**He lookes like he's using a walkie-talkie," said Harry, curiously.**

"**He can't be," said Hermione, "I've told you, these sort of things don't work around Hogwarts. Come on, Harry. **Hopefully I can eat before Viktor turns up.**" she added briskly, turning away from the window **and pulling him towards the stairs.

"Your boyfriend is weird." Harry muttered, still looking out of the window.

/\

Hermione collapsed into her seat, grabbing herself some food. She quickly scanned the room for Viktor, no sign of him. As she chewed, she pondered about what Draco had been doing outside under the tree. It was _their_ tree, where they would sit together in the evenings, his warm fur-trimmed cloak over her legs. But they hadn't been for ages, in fact they had hadn't since a few days after the Yule Ball. They seemed closer when their relationship was secret. Hermione didn't understand it, he would be close and protective one minute and ignore her the next. Something was wrong.

"Hello Hermy-ninny"

_Oh God, why won't he leave me alone? _He sat next to her, Harry looked sympathetic as he passed her some juice.

"Hi 'Mione!" said Ron cheerfully, dropping into the seat opposite, piling his plate up high. She sighed and continued eating, although a little faster than before. When she finished, Hermione looked across the room to find Draco, who was sat eating with his friends. He looked up and Hermione smiled at him; but he did not return it. His expression was blank, almost like he was looking through her. Now she definitely knew something was wrong. She needed to talk to him.

"Hermione, will you help me with the Shield Charms again?" Harry said, shaking her arm slightly. She attempted to look cheerful as she turned absent mindedly to him.

"What? Oh, right. Yeah, sure."

/\

**Breakfast was a very noisy affair at the Gryffindor table on the morning of the third task. A screech owl arrived for Hermione, carrying her morning copy of the Daily Prophet as usual. She unfolded the paper, glanced at the front page, and spat out a mouthful of pumpkin juice all over it.**

"**What?" said Harry and Ron together, staring at her.**

"**Nothing," said Hermione quickly, trying to shove the paper out of sight, but Ron grabbed it.**

_HARRY POTTER 'DISTURBED AND DANGEROUS'_

Ron's ears turned red as he scanned the first few lines.

"**Let me see it," Harry said to Ron. "Give it here."**

**Very reluctantly, Ron handed over the newspaper.** Hermione watched his face change as he read through the article.

"Hermione, you really should read this." Harry said angrily when he finished, passing it to her. She scanned the page until she saw a familiar name.

_'Potter can speak Parseltongue,' reveals Draco Malfoy, a Hogwarts fourth-year. 'There was a lot of attacks on students a few years ago, and most people thought Potter was behind them after they saw him lose his temper at a Duelling Club and set a snake on another boy. It was all hushed up though. But he's made friends with werewolves and giants too. We think he'd do anything for a bit of power.'_

"Did you know anything about this?" Harry asked.

"No." said Hermione through gritted teeth.

**Over on the Slytherin table, Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle were laughing at Harry, tapping their heads with their fingers, pulling grotesquely mad faces and waggling their tongues like snakes.** Viktor and Ron started to rise out of their seats, but Hermione stopped them

"Let me talk to him."

Hermione got up and walked over to the table, receiving many dirty looks from students dressed in green. Draco also rose out of his seat, turning to her.

"May I help you, _Granger_?" he said.

"Outside. Now."

Malfoy followed her up the main staircase to a deserted corridor. He leaned by the window, while Hermione looked up at him angrily.

"What's this?" she said, throwing the Prophet at his chest. "Private interviews with Rita Skeeter? You promised you'd be civil with Harry. 'Anything for a bit of power'? You know he's not like that."

"I was originally going to set things straight about the Witch Weekly article like you wanted, but this seemed like much more fun" he smirked.

"More fun? What is with you Draco? You haven't spoken to me in over a week! And the dirty looks from your friends? Why do you let them treat your girlfriend like that?" She moved closer to him, trying to wrap her arms around his body. He pushed her away and looked out at the mountains surrounding the school. A pang of worry spread through her.

"I don't have a girlfriend."

"What?" said Hermione quietly, tears now brimming her eyes.

"I don't have a girlfriend. I haven't had one for a while now. There was this girl who I saw for a while: took her to the Yule Ball, bought her things, spent time with her. But she was a mudblood. And purebloods _don't date_ mudbloods."

Hermione was dumbfounded, staring in awe as he turned to look at her, his face expressionless. She noted a slight redness around his eyes and his hair looked untidy. But looking at his face made her feel like someone was stabbing her heart. She felt betrayed. The time they had spent together was a lie, she couldn't believe she'd convinced herself and her friends that he was different. He was _exactly_ the boy she first thought he was: cold, devious and cruel. He picked up his bag and strode towards the stairs. Hermione's knees weakened as she moved slowly to the floor, leaning against the wall. Hot tears fell down her cheeks and blurred her vision. She stared at the fuzzy image of her feet, unaware that the first bell had rung.

"'Mione?" Ron appeared from the staircase slowly. He saw her and stopped in his tracks. He was never any good with crying people. "'Mione, we need to go to the third task." She nodded, wiping the tears with her sleeve. Ron helped her up and put his arm around her. They met Ginny at the main doors, who took over in supporting Hermione.

The sky was a deep, clear blue as they took their seats in the stands. Hermione looked up to see the stars beginning to emerge and twinkle down upon them. It reminded her of those nights by the lake. A lump rose in her throat and she gripped harder onto Ginny's hand. Something glinted in the moonlight further down the stand. She saw his white-blond hair, standing out against all others. She stared at the back of his head, unable to concentrate on what Ludo Bagman was saying. There was a short blast of a whistle, and Hermione snapped back into focus, turning her attention to Harry. She tried to ignore the constant pain in her chest.

/\

Hermione threw the last book in her trunk and leaned over to close the lid. She picked up the glass jar containing a small beetle from her bed side table.

"I'll let you out when we get back to London." she said, putting the jar into her pocket.

**The weather could not have been more different on the journey back to King's Cross than it had been on their way to Hogwarts the previous September. There wasn't a single cloud in the sky. Harry, Ron and Hermione had managed to get a compartment to themselves. **Harry picked up a copy of the Prophet from the empty seat next to him. He mused out loud about how there didn't seem to be any Rita Skeeter articles. Hermione took this opportunity to explain about the beetle. She smiled serenely as she finished.

**The door of the compartment slid open.**

"**Very clever, Granger," said Draco Malfoy**, clapping his hands together mockingly as he walked inside.Her heart jumped at the sound of his voice, Ron and Harry both stood up and moved towards him protectively.

"**Get out," said Harry. **Draco smirked and took a step back.

"**You've picked the losing side, Potter! I warned you! I told you you ought to choose your company carefully, remember? O told you not to hang around with riff-raff like this!" He jerked his head at Ron and Hermione. "Too late now, Potter! They'll be the first to go, now the Dark Lord's back! Mudbloods and Muggle-lovers First! Well – second – Diggory was the f-"**

**It was as though someone had exploded a box of fireworks within the compartment. **Harry turned to see Hermione on her feet, wand raised and her chest rising and falling heavily, as though she was out of breath. She moved forward and pushed the unconscious Malfoy out into the corridor. Ron and Harry looked shocked as they watched her return to her seat and pick up a book. They spent the rest of the journey in silence.

A tall figure with long, pale-blonde hair greeted her as Hermione stepped onto the platform. His expression seemed to be full of pure loathing as she looked up at him. She picked up one end of her trunk and pulled it away from Lucius Malfoy as fast as she could.

_/\_

_I feel all upset now, but I had to do it :(_

_Order of the Pheonix is going to be a tricky one to write, only a few things are going to happen - mostly to do with the battle in the Department of Mysteries._

_**Please could you do me the honour of voting in my poll?** Need help sorting out my priorities :)_

_Now I must think about how to write the next Chapter, it's one I'm not entirely sure about at the moment..._

_Lemon Cheese_

_xxx_


	5. Chapter 5

_I've been putting this off, but I really need to carry on. OOTP is teasing me, the book is just so long! Sheer effort to find the quotes :(_

_Anyway, hello again :)_

_I know I skip bits out from the books, but you know what happens anyway, it's only these scenes that are different.  
I knew I had to start writing again when I started dreaming about Harry, a few nights ago he was my brother and Malfoy was my boyfriend – sounds good to me ;)_

_JK Rowling owns my brain, and therefore the rights to this story._

/\

"Read this and then think about what it says" said Remus Lupin, handing Hermione a slip of parchment. Tonks winked at her. The trio were stood in a deserted London street, at around ten at night. Tonks and Lupin had picked Hermione up from her home, to escort her to the Burrow. Or so she thought. She looked down at the parchment.

_The Headquarters of the Order of the Pheonix may be found at number twelve, Grimmauld Place, London._

**Hermione thought, and no sooner had she reached the part about number twelve, Grimmauld Place, that a battered door emerged out of nowhere between numbers eleven and thirteen, followed swiftly by dirty walls and grimy windows. It was as though an extra house had inflated, pushing those on either side out of its way. Hermione gaped at it. The stereo in number eleven thudded on. Apparently the muggles inside hadn't felt anything.**

"We'll explain inside," Tonks said quietly. "This way."

Hermione followed them up the stone steps, staring at the front door. Its black paint was shabby and scratched. **The silver doorknocker was in the form of a twisted serpent**. Lupin pulled out his wand and tapped the door once. Hermione heard the clink of locks and chains, before the door creaked open. She stepped inside, followed by Lupin and Tonks.

Hermione found herself in the narrow hall of the house. She could smell damp and dust, the place had the feeling of a derelict building. The wallpaper was peeling from the walls, and cobwebs coated a chandelier that hung from the ceiling. As she looked at the portraits hung crookedly on the walls, somebody entered the hall from a door at the far end of the room.

"Hermione, lovely to see you" Mrs Weasley beamed, pulling her into a warm hug. "I'm sorry but you've missed dinner. Is that okay?"

"Absolutely fine. I ate before Tonks and Remus arrived." Hermione said.

"Good stuff. Ginny and Ron are just upstairs, they'll show you where you're sleeping."

**Pressing her finger to her lips, Mrs Weasley lead her on tiptoe past a pair of long, moth-eaten curtains** to the dark staircase. Hermione's bewilderment increased with every step she took. She was horrified at the sight of house-elves' heads mounted on plaques as she passed them on the landing. Mrs Weasley lead her to a door before returning back downstairs. Hermione turned the doorknob, which was shaped like a serpent's head, and opened the door.

"'Mione!" Ginny leapt up from a handsome armchair to give her friend a hug. "Finally, I need another girl around here."

"Hey Hermione, good summer?" Ron asked, patting her arm. Hermione detected the pity in his voice.

"It was good thank you. I went to France with my parents," Ron didn't seem too convinced. "Where are we?"

"Headquarters of the Order of the Pheonix. It's a secret society that Dumbledore founded." Ron told her.

"It's also the Black family house," Ginny added. "Sirius is letting us stay, and for the Order to hold meetings here. But we're not allowed in them." she frowned.

"Why not?"

"Too young apparently." Ginny sulked.

Hermione looked around the room that she would be sharing with Ginny. The walls were panelled with a dark wood, as was the floor, but it was mostly covered by a emerald green carpet. There was more emerald green on the sheets of the four-poster bed, along with the pillows and the curtains. She had become to hate the colour over the past few months, for obvious reasons. But that was out of her head now, and so was he.

There was a sudden crack, as Fred and George apparated into the room. Hermione jumped back, the twins laughed at her.

"Hey Hermione!" they chorused.

"Hey guys."

"Guess what?" Fred smiled.

"You can do magic outside of school now?" Hermione asked jokingly.

"She's smart, this one." George told his brother.

The five of them all sat down on the vast bed.

"Mother dearest has instructed us to go to bed," Fred said with a mischievous grin on his face. He pulled a deck of cards from the pocket of his jeans. "Exploding snap anyone?"

/\

Hermione woke the next morning to hear voices from downstairs. On her way to the bathroom, she peeked over the bannister to see the hallway crowded with people. Must be members of the Order. She recognised a few faces: Tonks, Lupin, Professor McGonagall; and a few she didn't. She watched them file into the parlour quietly.

When she finished breakfast, Hermione decided to spend the morning exploring the house. After about an hour, she found herself looking at piles of books on a desk in the drawing room. She flicked through the pages, but found nothing interesting, just pages of pro-pureblood text. She turned around to see a hanging on the wall behind her.

**The tapestry looked immensely old; it was faded and looked as though Doxys had gnawed it in places. Nevertheless, the golden thread with which it was embroidered still glinted brightly enough to show a sprawling family tree dating back** (as far as Hermione could see) **to the Middle Ages. Large words at the very top of the tapestry read:**

_The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black  
'Toujours pur'_

Hermione studied the tree: trying to find Sirius. She discovered a scorch mark where his face and name had been burnt out. She reminded herself to ask him later why this was. Across the tree she saw his cousins: Bellatrix, a scorch mark for Tonk's mother Andromeda, and Narcissa. Narcissa? As in, Narcissa Malfoy? Hermione followed the branch, and there he was. The face smirked at her, it had an uncanny resemblance to him. She had not seen him since the train journey home, and even this was too much. He had been out of her mind all summer, she thought she was over him. It appeared not. She stared at him without blinking. It wasn't until Ginny found her that she looked away. Ginny pulled her out into the hallway.

"You can't let him get to you this way." she said sincerely.

"I know, I know. It just shocked me a little bit." Hermione sniffed, a single tear falling down her face. Ginny hugged her tightly.

Ron left the kitchen with a bacon sandwich in his hand to see the two hugging. Ginny ushered him over. She transferred Hermione into his arms and left. Ron was surprised about how comfortable he felt. The only thing was that he couldn't reach his sandwich. He loosened his grip and brought the bread closer to his mouth as Hermione nestled in his chest.

"Ron!" Ginny snapped, returning from the kitchen. Ron dropped his arm quickly, leaving a blob of ketchup on Hermione's shoulder. She moved back and looked at him.

"Ronald! Do you always think about food?" she said, pulling at her t-shirt to see the stain.

"No, sometimes I think about quidditch." he grinned smugly. Hermione giggled. "See, that cheered you up."

Hermione's face fell, but more to the appearance of an expressionless mask. She left the two Weasleys and climbed the stairs to her bedroom. She scratched behind the ears of her cat, Crookshanks, before picking up her purse and flicking through the contents. It wasn't exactly hard to find. The green stone glinted as it caught the light from the window. She had worn it religiously, right until the day of the third task. The box was at the bottom of her trunk, so she rummaged through to find it. Hermione placed the necklace back into its duck egg blue prison. Hopefully if it was at the dark depths of her trunk, it would be out of her mind.

There was a hooting from the window, making Hermione jump. She turned to see Hedwig flapping outside holding rolls of parchment. She ran over and undid the latch, and the ghostly bird flew up onto the wardrobe. She strode out of the room to call for Ron and Ginny.

"I just feel so guilty for not writing back." Ron said as he walked over to Hedwig, extracting the letters from her.

"Dumbledore told you not to write though," Ginny replied, shutting the door. "What does it say?"

_I've just been attacked by Dementors and I might be expelled from Hogwarts. I want to know what's going on and when I'm going to get out of here._

"There's another one for Sirius as well" Hermione said with a worried look on her face. What was going on? Dementors in Little Whinging? What would Dumbledore say?

"We need to tell the Order" Ginny said, picking up the letter for Sirius and running downstairs.

/\

Harry arrived the night after, accompanied by a guard of Order members. Again, Mrs Weasley escorted him upstairs before returning to the parlour. As he entered the bedroom Hermione squealed and ran to him, giving Harry a hug that almost knocked him flat on his back.

"**HARRY! Ron, he's here, Harry's here! We didn't hear you arrive! Oh, how are you? Are you all right? Have you been furious with us? I bet you have, I know our letters were useless – but we couldn't tell you anything. Dumbledore made us swear we wouldn't, oh, we've got so much to tell you, and you've got things to tell us – the Dementors! When we heard – and that Ministry hearing – it's just outrageous, I've looked it all up, they can't expel you, they just can't, there's provision in the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery for the use of magic in life-threatening situations -"**

"**Let him breathe, Hermione," said Ron, grinning as he closed the door behind Harry. **She stepped back and looked him. Scruffy as always, but his hair seemed even more messy. Similar to when he'd just stepped off the Quidditch pitch. Hedwig swooped over to Harry and perched on a table. He reached out and stroked her feathers. There seemed to be a strained silence as the three looked at each other. Hermione noted a slight twist of anger in Harry's face. She found herself correct when he exploded, shouting at her and Ron. A lump rose in her throat and she felt tears in her eyes for the second time since she had arrived at Grimmauld Place. She understood his anger about being alone at the Dursley's, but didn't understand why he was shouting at them for it.

"**Harry, we're really sorry!" said Hermione desperately, her eyes sparkling with tears. **She couldn't bear to hear him any longer. **"You're absolutely right, Harry – I'd be furious if it was me!"**

His muscles seemed less tense as Harry relaxed, his face dropping. He sat down quietly as Ron and Hermione filled him in with details and events.

/\

"**... better hurry up, Mum's going ballistic, she says we're going to miss the train ..." **  
It was a week later and Ginny was shaking Hermione's arm as she stirred from her sleep. She groaned and got up. Even with Ginny's warning, she took longer than usual to get ready, pulling her hair back into a French Plait and packing her trunk slowly. She sighed as she walked through the drawing room to search for her favourite quill. She tried to avoid the gold thread glinting from the corner of her eye. She ignored the face that smirked at her.

**Hermione came hurrying into the hall looking flustered, just as Harry was putting on his trainers. Hedwig was swaying on her shoulder, and she was carrying a squirming Crookshanks in her arms. **He could tell she was not looking forward to returning to Hogwarts.

_Thought I'd leave it there...  
Not much Draco in this chapter, but I quite like this – one of my favourites so far_

_Love it? Loathe it? Let me know!_

_I promise the Slytherin bad-boy will return in the next chapter :)_

_lots of love, especially to those who review_

_Lemon Cheese_

_xxx_


	6. Chapter 6

_:O – my face is actually like that, I was in shock at the amount of hits I got!  
I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH, hope you're liking it  
I reward you with a long-ish chapter :D  
However, I love Ailsa the most (she insisted I write this, as she is the one who got me on FanFiction and therefore takes some of the credit) but I will never make Ron and Viktor a ship! (no matter how much she asks)_

_Got to live up to expectations now I guess? Bad times for me_

_onward with my quest to write this fic!_

/\

"**Shall we go and find a compartment, then?" Harry asked.  
Ron and Hermione exchanged looks.  
"Er," said Ron.  
"We're – well – Ron and I are supposed to go into the prefect carriage," Hermione said awkwardly. Ron wasn't looking at Harry; he seemed to have become intensely interested in the fingernails on his left hand.  
"Oh," said Harry. "Right. Fine" **Leaving in the opposite direction to find someone to sit with.

Hermione and Ron squeezed past the hoards of students in the corridor, making their way up to the front of the train. Ron pushed people out of the way to make room for him and Hermione.

"Ronald, stop it" Hermione scolded.

"But they're in the way," he whined, turning back to grin at her. She sighed looked out of the window at the green countryside that flew by.

As others found compartments, it became less crowded and they were soon at the prefect carriage. Ron slid the door open for Hermione to walk through first. The prefect carriage was near the front of the train and appeared to be nothing more than an extra large compartment. Each booth had a table in the middle, on which were copies of the _Daily Prophet _and assorted sandwiches and snacks. Older prefects were sat at the far end chatting amongst themselves; while the new fifth years were by the door.

"Hermione! Ron! Prefects, exciting stuff, eh?" said Ernie Macmillan, gesturing to his Hufflepuff prefect badge. Hannah Abbott waved at Hermione, insisting that she sit down. Hermione sat, followed by Ron next to her. The door slid open as the Ravenclaw prefects came into the carriage, Anthony Goldstein and Padma Patil. Ron looked down at his feet, remembering the Christmas before, when he took Padma to the Yule Ball. Hermione could sense his awkwardness as his ears went red. It made her smile because she knew Padma didn't care in the slightest.

"Just Slytherins to wait for then?" Anthony smiled, taking a seat on the other side of the carriage. Hermione pushed away the copy of the _Prophet_ in front of her (she had lost faith in it since they started printing lies about Harry and Dumbledore), and picked up a tangerine. She then directed all of her attention into peeling the rind in one big piece. Ron watched her intently not noticing the door once again slide open.

"Well well, Weasleybee," a sarcastic voice chimed out. Hermione head snapped up suddenly, seeing who it belonged to. He didn't even look over to her, his eyes transfixed on Ron.  
Ron lifted his head slowly and turned to Malfoy, who was stood with Pansy Parkinson. The blonde continued, "The ginger side-kick is a prefect? Looks like Dumbledore is in fact, losing his touch. Making a Weasley a prefect? Clearly loopy."

"Actually Draco, three of Ron's brothers were Prefects," Hermione said acidly, putting a tangerine segment into her mouth. Malfoy's eyes quickly looked to her and a smirk twisted upon his lips.

"Nobody was asking you, _Granger._" he snarled. _Back on surname terms then_. Hermione swallowed slowly before scowling at him. Ron looked to her reassuringly and squeezed her hand, which was gripping tightly onto the table. Malfoy looked at her white knuckles, tainted by Weasley's touch. Pansy pulled his arm and drew him to a seat further down the carriage.

Ron and Hermione returned to find Harry a little while later. They found him in a compartment with Neville, Ginny and a girl with long blonde hair, who Ginny introduced as Luna Lovegood. Hermione settled next to Harry, filling him in about the new prefects. As if summoned by the utterance of his name; Draco Malfoy slid the door open followed by Crabbe and Goyle. Harry turned towards them, positioning himself defensively between Hermione and the door.

"**What?" he said aggressively, before Malfoy could open his mouth.**

"**Manners, Potter, or I'll have to give you a detention," drawled Malfoy. **He glanced at Hermione, who turned and picked up one of Luna's _Quibblers. _**"You see, I, unlike you, have been made a prefect, which means that I, unlike you, have the power to hand out punishments."**

"**Yeah," said Harry, "but you, unlike me, are a git, so get out and leave us alone." **

Hermione smirked from behind her magazine. She wasn't really paying attention to the article '_Sirius – Black as he's Painted?_', more listening into the conversation.

"**Tell me, how does it feel being second-best to Weasley, Potter?" he asked.**

"**Shut up, Malfoy," said Hermione sharply. **_Well if he was going to use surnames..._

She threw _The Quibbler_ down and looked at him. He had a smug look on his face, leaning against the door. He winked at her. Instead of it making her feel weak at the knees, the wink made her even more angry.

"**Get out!" said Hermione, standing up.**

**Malfoy gave Harry a last malicious look and departed, with Crabbe and Goyle lumbering along in his wake. Hermione slammed the compartment door behind them and turned to look at Harry.**

"Tell me, Harry. What did I see in him?"

Harry just shrugged.

/\

**The Entrance Hall was ablaze with torches and echoing with footsteps as the students crossed the flagged stone floor for the double doors to the right, leading to the Great Hall and the start-of-term feast. **Ron and Harry walked ahead, as Ginny and Hermione were deep in conversation. Neville and Luna ambled behind them, the latter still immersed in her _Quibbler_ – Spectrespecs balancing in her blonde hair like a tiara.

"Ginny, I look fine!" Hermione fussed as her best friend attempted to brush at her hair.

"He'll regret messing you around" Ginny muttered, ignoring her as she pulled out a compact from her pocket. Hermione sighed.

**The four long house tables in the Great Hall were filling up under the starless black ceiling, which was just like the sky that they could glimpse through the high windows. Candles floated in midair all along the tables, illuminating the silvery ghosts who were dotted about the Hall and the faces of the students talking eagerly, exchanging summer news, shouting greetings at friends from other houses, eyeing one another's new haircuts and robes. **

"Your hair looks nice, Hermione." said Parvati as Hermione sat opposite her. Hermione smiled shyly and ran her fingers through it. It seemed less bushy thanks to Ginny, and was pulled back loosely with clips. She saw her reflection in the back of her spoon and smiled. Hermione couldn't have loved Ginny more. Even though she was wearing no make-up, all her blemishes had seemed to have disappeared. Hermione felt confident for the first time in months. Ron and Harry sat on either side of her, still apparently taking their roles as personal bodyguards seriously. Hermione felt that she didn't need this. But it kept them both happy, so she didn't complain.

Still, even with their protection, she could feel a pair of eyes burning into her back. She had sat with her back to him on purpose, as not to see his face. This was the only way. Every time she looked into his eyes memories flashed before her. The memories hurt. However, her curiosity got the better of her, and she peeked over to the Slytherin table.

She instantly regretted it. Her confidence drained back to zero.

He was staring icily at her, ignoring Pansy, who appeared to be talking to him. Their eyes locked, and she felt unable to look away. His silver-blue irises had hypnotised her. They brought back memories of the dress she wore at the Yule Ball to match them, the glint of light that reflected from the snowy ice, the colour of the sky on those early summer days sat beneath the trees. Her heart hammered painfully in her chest. Draco dared to smile timidly at her, only a small change in the corners of his mouth, but it felt as though a knife was stabbing her. Hermione's eyes brimmed with tears and she turned away to stare blankly at her cutlery.

"Who's _that?_" said Ron in a disgusted tone, making Hermione snap her head up and wipe her tears with the edge of her sleeve. Ron pointed towards the middle of the staff table.

**Harry and Hermione's eyes followed his. **They looked over to Dumbledore first, then to the woman sitting next to him, who was talking in his ear. **She was squat, with short, curly, mouse-brown hair in which she had placed a horrible pink Alice band that matched the fluffy pink cardigan she wore over her robes. Then she turned her face slightly to take a sip from her goblet and Harry saw, with a shock of recognition, a pallid, toadlike face and a pair of prominent, pouch eyes.**

"**It's that Umbridge woman!"**

"**Who?" said Hermione, **attempting to make her voice sound normal. She became a little more relaxed as she felt the burning eyes on her back subside.

"**She was at my hearing, she works for Fudge!"**

"**Nice cardigan," said Ron, smirking.**

"**She works for Fudge!" Hermione repeated, frowning. **She appeared to have almost forgotten Malfoy, immersed in this new turn of events. **"What on earth's she doing here, then?"**

"**Dunno..."**

Whatever it was, Hermione knew it couldn't be good.

/\

_Okay so I lied a bit, it isn't that long – but it seemed to end here naturally  
going to write some DA related stuff next, skim over to the important bits_

_Any big HP nerds out there – yes I did reference Spectrespecs (which first appear in HP6) but Luna could've worn them before then, right?_

_So yeah, hope you liked it :)_

_Pretty please review, I'll love love love youu!!_

_Lemon Cheese_

_xxx_


	7. Chapter 7

_Special note to all my fabby readers, because I never expected people to like this so much :)_

_Did I ever tell you how much I love you?  
Yeah well, I LOVE YOU!!_

_Yes yes, Draco is confused (not in that way haha) he can't decide what to do about Hermione, hence his sudden jumps between nice guy and meanie.  
And Hermione has no idea... but we do ;)  
Poor naïve Hermione, what ever will she do?_

/\

Hermione was not happy. She knew when she first found out about Umbridge that this year wouldn't be good. Not only had Umbridge transformed Defence Against the Dark Arts lessons into a pointless hour of nothingness, but she also had took on the role of _Hogwarts High Inquisitor: _something that Hermione was sure that Fudge had made up specifically to try and hold power over Dumbledore.

She had questioned Harry about him teaching students himself, but received no reply. She didn't mention it again for two weeks. It wasn't until one day when they were looking up potion ingredients in the library that Hermione thought about it again.

"**I was wondering," She said suddenly, "whether you'd thought more about Defence Against the Dark Arts, Harry."**

"**Course I have," said Harry grumpily, "can't forget about it, can we, with that hag teaching us -"**

"**I meant the idea that me and Ron had -" Ron cast her an alarmed, threatening kind of look. She frowned at him. **What was the problem? It was his idea first anyway. She would just have to lie to save his skin. She turned back to Harry and continued. "**- Oh, all right, the idea **_**I**_** had, then – about you teaching us."**

She studied Harry's features as she watched him think. She knew he would want to, Defence Against the Dark Arts lessons had become unbearable. She would have taught herself, but she knew that Harry was better for the job. Harry finally looked up from his parchment.

"**Well," he said slowly, when he could no longer pretend to find **_**Asiatic Anti-Venoms**_** interesting, "yeah, I – I've thought about it a bit." **

"**And?" said Hermione eagerly.**

"**I dunno," said Harry, playing for time. He looked up at Ron.**

"**I thought it was a good idea from the start**, you should teach." said Ron. _Yeah, now you want to take credit. _Hermione once again studied Harry's face as he shifted uncomfortably on his chair.

"**You did listen to what I said about a load of it being luck, didn't you?"**

"Yes Harry," said Ron gently, almost nervous that Harry would shout like he did at Grimmauld Place. "But all the same, there's no point pretending that you're not good at it, mate. You were the only person last year who could throw off the Imperius Curse completely, you can produce a Patronus, you can do all sorts of stuff that adult wizards can't, Viktor always said that -"

Hermione looked at Ron suspiciously.

"You're still in contact with Krum?" she said, trying hard to hide her disgust. She remembered back to the day that the Durmstrang and Beaubatons students left: she had felt a huge weight lift from her chest. A bulky, Bulgarian, duck-footed weight off her chest.

"A little bit, yeah. And?" Ron said, his ears turning red.

Hermione supposed it was okay that Ron still talked to him; at least he wasn't following her around all the time any more. She also saw a hint of sadness on his face, maybe Viktor didn't write as much as Ron liked. But that wasn't the issue at hand right now. She looked back at Harry, who had remained suspiciously quiet.

"So?"

Harry looked nervously at her, playing with his hands. "**But I doubt anyone except you two would want to be taught by me. I'm a nutter, remember?"**

"I think you'll be surprised, Harry." Hermione said knowingly.

/\

The three set plans for meeting at the Hog's Head pub in Hogsmeade that weekend. When the day arrived, they queued up in the Entrance Hall in front of Filch, who matched their names to the long list of students who had permission to visit the village. As Harry walked past him, Filch leaned towards him and inhaled deeply. Ron snorted as they left the front doors, before turning to Harry.

"Er, Harry? **Why was Filch sniffing you?" said Ron, as he, Harry and Hermione set off ****at a brisk pace down the wide drive to the gates. **Hermione was scanning the group of students to see who would possibly turn up at the Hog's Head. Pale hair glinted in the sun as she saw a figure ahead with a fur-trimmed cloak.

Malfoy looked over his shoulder and saw Hermione looking back at him. His heart jumped at this, but she soon looked away. As did he, turning back to the path.

"You all right, mate?" Blaise said, looking over to his best friend.

"Er, yeah." he muttered, shoving his hands into his pockets.

Hermione turned back to her friends and listened to the conversation they were having. Harry had just recounted how Filch had walked in just as he was sending a letter to Sirius, demanding to see it. **To his slight surprise, Hermione found this story highly interesting, much more, indeed, than he did himself. **What he didn't know however, was that she was doing so in an attempt to distract herself.

"**He said he was tipped off you were ordering Dungbombs? But who tipped him off?" Ron** asked with a puzzled look on his face.

"**I dunno," said Harry, shrugging. "Maybe Malfoy, he'd think it was a laugh."**

They walked between the tall stone pillars topped with winged boars that indicated that they had left the school grounds. They then turned left onto a road to the village, through a small patch of woodland. The wind whistled through the trees and whipped through their hair. Hermione looked forward to see Malfoy trying to smooth his down as he pushed Pansy Parkinson away. Hermione couldn't help but smile at her failed attempts to hold his hand, watching him slap it away. Was he the type to tip Harry off though?

"**Malfoy?" said Hermione, sceptically. "Well … yes … maybe …" **

**And she remained deep in thought all the way into the outskirts of Hogsmeade. **She had to stop thinking about Malfoy, but he seemed to turn up everywhere, and in most conversations she had. It didn't help that he was in most of her classes. He seemed different than the vicious and emotionless guy had who dumped her at the beginning of summer. But probably because he felt like nothing happened. He was back to the obnoxious Slytherin and she was back to being, well, Hermione. She made a deal with herself not to think about him again, unless she really had to.

/\

"**Hey, Harry, what's this stuff?" asked Dean Thomas from the rear of the room indicating to the Sneakoscopes and the Foe-Glass.**

"**Dark detectors," said Harry, stepping between the cushions to reach them. "Basically they all show when Dark wizards or enemies are around, but you don't want to rely on them too much, they can be fooled …"**

Hermione knew that Harry was thinking back to when Barty Crouch Jr had used Polyjuice Potion to become Mad-Eye Moody in their previous year. She gazed for a moment into the cracked Foe-Glass; shadowy figures were moving around inside it, though none were recognisable. She turned her back to it, looking out at the room.

She was pleased with the amount of people who had joined them at the Hog's Head. The trip to Hogsmeade had proved very successful, and they had spent a few weeks sorting out details, finally finding the Room of Requirement to use as a place to practice. The room was filled with people from all different years. Obviously no Slytherins, she didn't expect any. She imagined what it would be like if Malfoy had joined. He would probably be bickering with Ron at this very moment, like he did when she forced them to speak. _What happened to not thinking about him? _She raised her hand in an attempt to gain Harry's attention.

"**What, Hermione?"**

"**I think we ought to have a name," she said brightly, her hand still in the air. "It would promote a feeling of team spirit and unity, don't you think?"**

Some of the people surrounding her nodded. Harry smiled broadly.

"**Can we be the Anti-Umbridge League?" said Angelina hopefully.**

"**Or the Ministry of Magic are Morons Group?" suggested Fred.**

"**I was thinking," said Hermione, frowning at Fred, "more of a name that didn't tell everyone what we were up to, so we can refer to it safely outside of meetings."**

"What about Dumbledore's Army?" said Ginny. Hermione smiled, she could always trust Ginny to speak sense. She was the one who told her to not let Malfoy to get to her. And she hadn't, or at least, she'd tried not to.

/\

**As the first Quidditch match of the season, Gryffindor versus Slytherin, drew nearer, their DA meetings were put on hold because Angelina insisted on almost daily practices. **Professor McGonagall obviously cared about her house winning, and seemed to lighten the load of homework she set. Hermione was secretly disappointed, she loved Transfiguration homework. But she knew it would be good news for Harry and Ron. And she really wanted them to beat Slytherin.

Unfortunately, Snape seemed to have the same idea as McGonagall, **he had booked the Quidditch pitch for Slytherin practice so often that the Gryffindors had difficulty getting on it to play. **There was one day when they were practising, and the Slytherins intruded the pitch. Hermione was sat in the stands, thinking about how similar it was to a fateful practice in their second year, when Ron had ended up belching slugs after a failed attack on Malfoy. All because he called her a mudblood. She sighed as she watched him leave the pitch, after what appeared to be harsh words with Harry. She noted at how the emerald Quidditch robes suited him as he strode away arrogantly. She returned to reading the book in her hands, keeping the promise she had made to herself. She was not going to think about him.

**October extinguished itself in a rush of howling winds and driving rain and November arrived, cold as frozen iron, with hard frosts every morning and icy draughts that bit at exposed hands and faces. The skies and the ceiling of the Great Hall turned a pale, pearly grey, the mountains around Hogwarts were snowcapped, and the temperatures in the castle dropped so low that many students wore thick protective dragonskin gloves in the corridors between lessons.**

The morning of the match was bright and cold, Hermione and Ginny took their seats at the table opposite Harry and Ron.

"Are you okay, Ron?" Ginny asked her brother.

Ron nodded but did not speak. His eyes remained fixed upon the table, not even touching his breakfast. Hermione could see the nerves hitting him, his face looked a pale white. A similar colour to Malfoy's. _Seriously, you have to stop thinking about him, you promised yourself._ She pushed a jug of pumpkin juice towards him.

"You just need to eat, Ron." she said. He nodded and began, slowly, filling his plate. Hermione took this opportunity to scan the room. Luckily there seemed to be a lot of red and gold colours, but it was the green and silver that attracted her attention. In addition to their green and silver scarves and hats, every Slytherin student was wearing a silver badge that appeared to be shaped like a crown. She frowned as she squinted to read what they said.

_Weasley is our King_

As they left the hall at the end of breakfast, Hermione grabbed Harry to tell him something.

"**Don't let Ron see what's on those Slytherins' badges," she whispered urgently.**

**Harry looked questioningly at her, **but then noticed what they said. She saw his face become angry. Ron ambled over, looking lost and desperate.

"**Good luck, Ron," said Hermione, standing on tiptoe and kissing him on the cheek. **She turned hugged Harry.** "And you, Harry." **

Harry pulled a slightly puzzled Ron, who was touching the spot where Hermione had kissed him with his hand, out of the front doors so they could meet the rest of the team in the changing rooms.

Hermione watched them leave, before turning and bumping into someone behind her. She hit his chest and stepped back. She saw his green Quidditch robes and gasped.

"You and Weasel then, eh?" Malfoy smirked.

"No, not me and Weasel then, eh." Hermione said through gritted teeth. Malfoy stepped closer to her, his head tilted down slightly. Their faces almost touched. Hermione could feel his cool breath as his chest rose and fell. If she lifted her head a little bit, their lips would meet. But she resisted this. It was not what he wanted anyway.

He confused her, saying that she meant nothing to him. But moments like this suggested different. No matter how smart she appeared to be, no matter how many books she read, there was one thing she would never understand: Draco Malfoy. Hermione felt like she would never know who he really was.

She saw his fists clenched as his arms were pulled rigidly on either side of his body. He seemed so tense, she imagined his expression to be the same. She raised her head, careful not to become too close, and looked into his eyes. Two watery grey orbs stared back at her. She felt as though she couldn't blink, her eyes focused on an icy river in his irises. She expected to once again feel the pain of the memories they shared together. But her mind was blank, so was the expression on his face.

He was so hard to read, she stared into his eyes and saw nothing but them stare back at her. She heard a cough from behind Draco.

"Erm, Draco? The changing room?" Blaise said, looking uncomfortable. Draco stepped back and walked over to Blaise, smirking. They both started for the front doors, Blaise still with a questioning look on his face.

"Remember to listen out to the crowd during the match, Granger," Malfoy said, turning before he left to the grounds. "We've written a little song for your _special friend_ Weaselbee."

Hermione felt the sting of the acid in his voice. She turned and watched him rejoin Blaise and walk off towards the pitch. Both seemed to be muttering the lyrics under their breath, broad grins on their faces. It was then that the pain finally hit her.

/\

_More mean Draco than loving Draco? Well that's what I thought anyway..._

_So this was the longer chapter that I promised before, I pretty much wrote it all in one sitting as well :)_

_Hope you like it, I'm finding it so hard to keep them apart any longer, but it must be done – trust me._

_I kind of want to know your theories. I'm following the books and want to see what people's predictions are. Just really interested, that's all. I do have the whole thing planned out and want to see if people guess correctly. You don't have to, it's just a suggestion :D_

_So, as you've figured out by now – Read, Review, Tune in next time!_

_Lemon Cheese_

_xxx_


	8. Chapter 8

_Well guess who had a productive week?_

_Thought you all deserved another update :)_

_And to Stephen (**King Creon**) Chapter 7 was long, I'd like to see you do better! Stephen is one of my RL friends, just so this comment doesn't sound too mean._

_Anyway, here it is..._

/\

Hermione stared up at the Patronus she had just cast, a shining silver otter that gambolled around her. It glided and frolicked through the air, instantly washing a wave of calm over her.

Dumbledore's Army had become a success, she often wondered how Umbridge would react if all the DA members received an 'Outstanding' in their Defence Against the Dark Arts OWLs. She smirked to herself in a very Draco-like way. But she didn't notice. Harry walked over to admire her work.

"**They _are _sort of nice, aren't they?" she said, looking at her Patronus fondly. **Harry smiled and nodded.

"What did you think about?" he asked. Hermione lowered her wand, her otter vanishing into the silvery mist. She didn't want to admit what memory she used; because even though it was a happy one, it also brought her pain to talk about it. She didn't want to see Harry's face when she told him that her happiest memory was dancing with Draco at the Yule Ball. She didn't even want to admit it to herself. So she looked at her feet and lied through her teeth.

"It was, erm, when you and Ron saved me from the troll in First Year. I finally realised that you were my friends." she said timidly. Harry grinned and hugged her. Hermione could practically feel the daggers that Cho Chang's eyes were releasing. She giggled to herself.

It was then that **the door of the Room of Requirement opened, and closed. Harry and Hermione looked round to see who had entered, but there did not seem to be anybody there. It was a few moments before they realised that the people close to the door had fallen silent. **Next thing Hermione knew, something was tugging at Harry's robes. It was Dobby. She smiled at the little creature; standing in a bright pair of odd socks and looking up at Harry from beneath his usual eight woolly hats. But then she saw the look on his face.

"**Hi, Dobby!" Harry said. "What are you – What's wrong?"**

**The elf's eyes were wide with terror and he was shaking. The members of the DA closest to Harry had also fallen silent; everybody in the room was watching Dobby. The few Patronuses people had managed to conjure faded away into the silver mist, leaving the room looking darker than before. **Only Luna's silver hare remained, darting between peoples' legs. Hermione already knew what was wrong.

"**Harry Potter, sir ..." squeaked the elf, trembling from head to foot, "Harry Potter, sir … Dobby has come to warn you … but the house-elves have been warned not to tell ..."**

He ran head-first at the wall, making Hermione squeak with fright, along with a few other girls. Hermione had not forgotten bout SPEW. Dobby merely bounced off the stone and was caught by Harrry, who put him back on his feet.

"**Harry Potter … she … she ..."**

Harry stopped the elf from hitting himself and asked him who was 'she'. The colour drained from his face as he realised. As did Hermione. Umbridge.

She had found out about the DA. She was coming to find them.

"**WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?" Harry bellowed. "RUN!"**

They all pelted towards the exit, causing a scrum around the door. Hermione squeezed through first and rushed out into the corridor, shouting back over her shoulder for Harry and Ron. She could see neither, but knew it wasn't wise to remain where she was. She began running to the right, but someone grabbed her arm, pulling her in a niche behind an ugly dragon-shaped vase.

She opened her mouth to scream, but a cool hand covered it.

"Shh, Granger. You don't want Umbridge catching you, do you?" Malfoy hissed. She remained tense as he pulled her closer and out of sight.

She turned and looked at him, his eyes boring into hers. Why was he doing this?

Malfoy raised a finger to his lips before letting go of her and moving out into the corridor. She saw him raise his wand and cast a spell quietly. A jet of purple light sprung from the hawthorn tip.

"AAARGH!"

Hermione saw Harry fall to the ground spectacularly and skid on his front six feet before coming to a halt. Malfoy laughed cruelly.

"**Trip Jinx, Potter!" he said. "Hey, Professor – PROFESSOR! I've got one!"**

**Umbridge came bustling round the far corner, breathless but wearing a delighted smile. **Hermione tucked herself further into the crevice, hiding herself from view.

"**It's him!" Umbridge said jubilantly at the sight of Harry on the floor. "Excellent, Draco, excellent, oh, very good – fifty points to Slytherin! I'll take him from here … stand up, Potter!"**

Hermione didn't dare look; but guessed that Umbridge had left with Harry, as she heard footsteps fading as they became further away. She gasped as she released her breath, not realising that she'd been holding it since Malfoy grabbed her. She covered her mouth in shock, as she heard footsteps towards her.

"Well that was a close one." Malfoy said as he appeared into her eye line.

"What did you do that for?" Hermione squeaked angrily, taking her hand form her face and moving out from behind the vase.

"Do what?" he said, trying to look innocent.

"Attack Harry and give him to Umbridge?"

"She knew I was around here, I couldn't really get away with not catching anyone, could I?"

"Yeah, but why Harry?" Hermione scowled, poking him in the chest. She felt a twinge of pain in her finger as it collided with his solid body. He smirked as she stared at her finger.

"Potty was the one she was most bothered about. Plus, it was rather entertaining watching him fall flat on his face." Malfoy said simply, still smirking.

"Draco Malfoy! I cannot believe you, you're such an arrogant arse! Why won't you just leave me alone? But _no_, you're everywhere! In classes, you're there. Corridors, there. But only to make snide remarks or take the piss. You save me from Umbridge then attack Harry! You -"

Hermione's rant was ceased by Draco's lips crashing onto her own. She opened her eyes in shock as he pushed her against the wall. She relaxed for a second and kissed back; her brain momentarily short-circuiting before she realised what Draco was doing. She wrenched her lips from his and they were both left gasping, their chests rising and falling heavily. He looked questioningly at her, stepping back a little.

Hermione raised her hand and slapped his face. She pushed him away and began running down the corridor, towards Gryffindor Tower. She left Malfoy stood stunned, clutching at the red mark on the side of his pale face. He turned angrily to the retreating figure.

"Come back here, Granger!" he bellowed threateningly. But Hermione was already round the corner, not looking back.

Gasping '_Mimbulus Mimbletonia' _as she reached the Fat Lady, Hermione climbed hastily through the portrait hole and into the common room, only to be greeted by Harry, Ron and Ginny.

"Thank Merlin that you're okay!" Ginny said, pulling her into a hug. Harry and Ron smiled with relief. They all took seats around the fire, the rest of the common room was surprisingly empty. Hermione leaned forward and attempted to hide her swollen lips with her hand.

"We have a problem," Harry said, breaking the silence and looking over to Hermione. "Dumbledore's gone."

/\

BY ORDER OF THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC

_Dolores Jane Umbridge (High Inquisitor) has replaced Albus Dumbledore as Head of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

_The above is in accordance with Educational Decree Number Twenty-eight_

_Signed: Cornelius Oswald Fudge, Minister for Magic._

**The notices had gone up all around the school overnight, but they did not explain how every single person within the castle seemed to know that Dumbledore had overcome two Aurors, the High Inquisitor, the Minister of Magic and his Junior Assistant to escape. **Hermione sat nervously at breakfast, hoping that no-one would ask her how she escaped the night before. She just wanted to forget it. She felt embarrassed just thinking about what happened. But she couldn't deny that she liked it. She loved every second of it. This new revelation just confused her. _Draco kissed me?_ _What is going on with him?_ She quickly ate her cereal and got up to leave for their first class, Herbology.

She remained quiet for the lesson, not even putting her hand up to answer questions. Professor Sprout ended the class early and the students made their way back to school from the greenhouses.

"**Dumbledore will be back before long," said Ernie Macmillan confidently. **He, Harry and Ron were walking a little ahead of Hermione as she lagged behind quietly. **"They couldn't keep him away in our second year and they won't be able to keep him away this time. The Fat Friar told me that Umbridge tried to get in his office last night after they'd searched the castle and the grounds for him. Couldn't get past the gargoyle." **Ernie, Harry and Ron all smirked. They reached the front doors and walked into the Entrance Hall. Ernie hushed his tone slightly. **"Apparently, she had a right little tantrum."**

They all stopped in the middle of the room, Hermione catching up and joining them.

"**Oh, I expect she really fancied herself sitting up there in the Head's office," she said viciously. "Lording it over all the other teachers, the stupid puffed-up, power crazed old -"**

"**Now, do you _really _want to finish that sentence, Granger?"**

Malfoy appeared from behind them, descending the main staircase with Crabbe and Goyle. The hairs on the back of Hermione's neck stood on end, but luckily her bushy brown hair hid them from view. She folded her arms and sighed as Harry and Ron once again stood in front of her protectively. This time she secretly felt glad. Malfoy had scared her the night before, she very nearly did return to him when he called.

"**Afraid I'm going to have to dock a few points from Gryffindor and Hufflepuff," he drawled.**

"**It's only teachers who can dock points from houses, Malfoy," Ernie said at once.**

"**Yeah, we're _prefects, _too, remember?" snarled Ron, **obviously forgetting about Harry as he stepped back towards Hermione.

"**I know _prefects _can't dock points, Weasel King," sneered Malfoy. Crabbe and Goyle sniggered. **Ron turned pale, but his ears remained beetroot. Hermione knew he was thinking back to Malfoy's foul lyrics at the Slytherin versus Gryffindor match. **"But members of the Inquisitorial Squad -"**

"**The _what?" _said Hermione sharply.**

"**The Inquisitorial Squad, Granger," said Malfoy, pointing towards the tiny silver 'I' on his robes, just beneath his prefect's badge. "So, Granger, I'll have five from you for being rude to our new Headmistress. Macmillan, five for contradicting me. **Five because I don't like you, Potter. And Weasley, I was going to take ten for the untucked shirt. But, you did let the quaffle in, so only five from you." Malfoy smirked and set off towards the dungeons.

"Oh," he said, looking over his shoulder as he reached the door. "**I forgot, you're a mudblood, Granger, so ten off for that." **

He turned swiftly and left the four of them stood in shock. Crabbe and Goyle laughed at them before following him.

And there it was again, the word he promised Hermione that he'd never say again. Mudblood.

/\

_Meanie Malfoy! :(  
Only because Hermy slapped him really..._

_Wow, I expected this chapter to be really short! Got a little bit into it, the kiss didn't originally happen._

_Reviews will be muchly appreciated, along with favourites and alerts!_

_Much Love  
Lemon Cheese_

_xxx_


	9. Chapter 9

_Hello again :)_

_Well, I've been working at chapter 11, which is going to be special. This one is more of a bridge to chapter 10, hence the length/little action..._

_on with the Order of the Phoenix!_

/\

With the OWLs in full swing, Hermione devoted most of her time to study, pouring over books for hours. **Their final exam, History of Magic, took place **on the Wednesday afternoon. **Harry would have very much liked to go back to bed after breakfast, **but he decided to work on some last-minute revision in the common room with Hermione. She noticed that he seemed very tired, almost dozing off as he stared dreamily out of the common room window with his head in his hands. But it could have just been **the three-and-a-half-feet-high stack of notes she had just given him. **

**The fifth-years entered the Great Hall at two o'clock and took their places in front of their face-down examination papers. **Hermione looked around the room before sitting down. She saw Draco, who was sat further down the row, but he seemed to be avoiding her gaze. She wished that he'd look over and at least acknowledge her, but he didn't. She turned back and began staring straight forward, trying to focus before they started.

"**Turn over your papers," said Professor Marchbanks from the front of the hall, flicking over the giant hour-glass. "You may begin." **

Hermione picked up her quill and began quickly scratching down on the parchment. It wasn't long before she was up to question four (_In your opinion, did wand legislation contribute to, or lead to better control of, goblin riots in the eighteenth century?). _

Draco sighed and stared blankly at the exam paper. What use would History of Magic have anyway? He wished that he was at Durmstrang, they didn't do such subjects. But he _was_ secretly happy at Hogwarts; comfortable in his extended home. And he would've never met Hermione at Durmstrang, they didn't accept muggle-borns. He had become quite used to saying that, 'muggle-borns' he knew how she hated it when he said mudblood. _But I called her a mudblood the day after I kissed her. Why did I do that?_

Draco felt like he could never win her back, he had hurt her too much. The exam gave him time to think everything over, but unfortunately just reminded him of all the things he had done wrong. He willed the sand to fall faster through the hour-glass, narrowing his eyes as he looked at it. No use.

He was considering walking out, but then looked over at Hermione. She was writing away, the top of her parchment already hanging off the table due to the length of her work. Draco smiled and picked up his quill, beginning to write.

Hermione re-read her answers, **looking up now and again to check the large hour-glass on the desk beside Professor Marchbanks. **She quickly looked over her shoulder to see how Harry and Ron were doing. Ron was sat at the back, scrawling away with his tongue stuck out. Harry seemed to be staring at the back of Parvati Patil's head, in some sort of trance. He should have got more sleep the night before.

She completed her questions and finally put her quill down. **All around her quills were scratching on parchment like scurrying, burrowing rats. The sun was hot on the back of her head, **she couldn't wait to get outside of the hall.

There was a sudden shout from behind her, amplified in the vast room. Hermione jumped up and turned to see Harry lying on the floor, yelling and clutching his scar and the Great Hall erupted around them.

Harry was taken to the hospital wing but refused to stay, running down to meet the others as they left the exam.

"**Harry!" said Hermione at once, looking very frightened. "What happened? Are you all right? Are you ill?"**

"**Come with me," Harry said to her and Ron quickly, "Come on, I've got to tell you something."**

**He lead them up the stairs and along the first-floor corridor, peering through doorways, and at last found an empty classroom into which he dived, closing the door behind Ron and Hermione the moment they were inside, and leaned against it, facing them. **

Hermione looked at his shaking body, his chest rising and falling, then to the look of terror on his face.

"Voldemort's got Sirius"

"_What?_"

"How d'you -?"

"Saw it. Just now. When I fell asleep in the exam."

"**But – but where? How?" said Hermione, **her face turning white.

"**I dunno how," said Harry. "But I know exactly where. There's a room in the Department of Mysteries full of shelves covered in these little glass balls and they're at the end of row ninety-seven … he's trying to use Sirius to get whatever he wants from in there … he's torturing him … says he'll end by killing him!"**

/\

Hermione argued with Harry, warning him about Voldemort's use of legilimency. He finally agreed to check Grimmauld Place first. But the only place they could use the Floo Network was Umbridge's Office, after nearly being caught in the common room last time they tried. With the help of Ginny and Luna, Harry was convinced that they could achieve it. Harry just needed one item to help them.

He tore back down the corridor, **and a couple of minutes later was jumping down the last few stairs to join Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Luna, who were huddled together at the end of Umbridge's corridor.**

"**Got it," he panted, **holding up his invisibility cloak. "Ready to go, then?"

"Okay then," Hermione whispered, as a gang of sixth-years passed them. "Ron, you go head off Umbridge … Ginny, Luna? Move people out of the corridor. Harry and I will wait under the cloak until the coast it clear."

They all nodded before separating, Ron disappearing down the corridor to find Umbridge. Hermione pulled Harry to a recess where the ugly stone head of a medieval wizard was stood muttering to itself on a column, and studied his face. He still looked pale. Harry insisted that he was fine and threw the cloak over the two of them. All they could do was wait while Ginny and Luna diverted students. Hermione saw Malfoy give Ginny strange look, muttering something before he skulked off in the opposite direction. The corridor was now deserted.

"**What's the signal?" muttered Harry, as they approached Umbridge's door.**

"**A loud chorus of 'Weasley is our King' if they see Umbridge coming." replied Hermione, as Harry inserted the blade of Sirius's knife in the crack between door and wall. The lock clicked open and they entered the office.**

Hermione let out a sigh of relief when they found the room empty. She hurried over to the window and out of sight, taking her wand out and scanning the grounds. All she could see were students milling around. She looked over to the lake and saw the giant squid rising up to the surface of the lake and spread out its tentacles. Her mind was wandering from the task of keeping lookout, but it wasn't like someone would fly up to the window.

There was a loud crash, and Umbridge burst into the room with Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson. Pansy grabbed Hermione's arm, restraining her with a great amount of force for such a small girl. Hermione's wrists twinged with pain from Pansy's vice-like grip.

Umbridge grabbed the back of Harry's head and pulled him from the fire, throwing him onto the floor.

"**Take his wand," she barked at Malfoy. "Hers, too."**

Malfoy bent down and took Harry's wand before turning to Hermione. His eyes lingered upon her hand before reaching out to take it from her. She felt Pansy's grip become even tighter. He looked up at her as his hand reached hers. Hermione felt a surge of energy flow through her body as his cool fingers brushed against her own. His eyes locked on hers for that brief moment, cold grey upon chocolate brown. It was over almost as soon as it had begun; and Malfoy turned back to Umbridge, giving her the wands.

Harry and Hermione were lead out into the corridor, where they saw Ginny, Luna, Ron and Neville being held by Crabbe, Goyle, Millicent Bulstrode and Warrington.

"**Got 'em all," said Warrington, shoving Ron roughly forwards. "_That _one," he poked a thick finger at Neville, "tried to stop me taking _her_," he pointed at Ginny, **who was trying to kick Millicent in the shins.

"**Good, good," said Umbridge, watching Ginny's struggles. "Well, it looks as though Hogwarts will shortly be a Weasley-free zone, doesn't it?"**

**Malfoy laughed loudly and sycophantically, **before coming to an abrupt stop when he saw Hermione glaring at him. He was instructed to restrain her and for Pansy to hold Luna.

"Sorry," he murmured into Hermione's ear, as he snaked his arms around her, pulling her body into a tight hold. She stomped on his foot with all the force she could. There was a hiss as Malfoy sharply in-took air in pain. He pulled her closer. She could feel his hard body pressed against her back. She squirmed to try and loosen his hold. Draco continued to grip her by the arms, she could feel every part of him pressed up against her back. Every single part of him.

Hermione felt very uncomfortable.

It was then that Snape arrived, and they were forced back into Umbridge's office.

"**You wanted to see me, Headmistress?" said Snape **once they had closed the door. He looked around **at all the pairs of struggling students with an expression of complete indifference. **Before Umbridge could open her mouth, Harry interjected; trying to escape Crabbe's hold.

"**He's got Padfoot!" he shouted. "He's got Padfoot at the place where it's hidden!"**

Snape's face remained blank, his hand resting on the door handle of the room.

"**Padfoot?" cried Professor Umbridge, looking eagerly from Harry to Snape. "What is Padfoot? Where what is hidden? What does he mean, Snape?"**

"I have no idea." Snape said in a bored tone. He swiftly left the room, his black robes billowing behind him.

"Very well," Umbridge said quietly, turning to Harry. "I shall tell the Minister that I had no other choice … maybe the Cruciatus Curse will loosed your tongue."

"**No!" shrieked Hermione, **trying to pull herself away from Malfoy. **"Professor Umbridge – it's illegal."**

Umbridge raised her wand.

"Stop!" Ron said suddenly. "Harry mate, you might as well tell her now. She'll get it out of you either way."

_What?_

"We were trying to contact Dumbledore," Ron said slowly. "We wanted to tell him that it's ready."

"What's ready?" Umbridge squeaked.

"The weapon."

_What weapon? _Hermione stared at Ron in awe.

"**Weapon? Weapon?" said Umbridge, and her eyes seemed to pop with excitement. "You have been developing some method of resistence? A weapon you could use against the Ministry? On Professor Dumbledore's orders, of course?"**

Ron didn't saw anything.

"Lead me to it." Umbridge stated, grabbing his arm. She indicated to Harry. "You're coming too. And the rest of you will remain here while we do."

The three swept from the room, leaving an awkward collection of students. Ginny, Neville and Luna drew their wands.

"Expelliarmus!"

"Stupefy!"

"Impedimenta!"

The three picked off each of the Inquisitorial Squad, leaving them to collapse in a heap on the floor. There was only Malfoy left, his arms still wrapped around Hermione.

"Give me the wands, and they won't hurt you." Hermione growled through gritted teeth. He pushed Harry and Hermione's wands into her hand and let go of her. She stepped away and turned around.

Draco looked at her with a mixture of confusion and worry on his face.

Hermione walked forward and kicked him full on in the crotch. Hard.

Malfoy keeled over to the floor, groaning as he fell.

"I didn't say that I wouldn't hurt you though." Hermione whispered in his ear, kissing him lightly on the cheek.

_/\_

_I really have it in for Draco at the moment :) FINALLY at the Department of Mysteries next!_

_xxx_


	10. Chapter 10

_Bonjour ma cheries!  
To my lovely reviewers – do you get my replies? Have started sending most of them from my phone, but I'm never certain that they reach you :S do you get them?  
Been struggling with this chapter a bit, being the first confrontation and all, spent a long time considering the speech between characters – will make sense as you read, hopefully..._

/\

"**Welcome tot he Ministry of Magic. Please state your name and business." **

Hermione was squashed uncomfortably in a red telephone box, Ron's back crushing her ribs and Luna pushing her against the door. Harry was standing close to the receiver.

"**Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger," Harry said very quickly, "Ginny Weasley, Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood … we're here to save someone, unless you Ministry can do it first!"**

"**Thank you," said the cool female voice. **Hermione frowned at the telephone. The women's lack of urgency confused her. **"Visitors. Please take the badges and attach them to the front of your robes."**

Six badges slid out of the metal shoot where the returned coins usually appeared. Hermione leant over and scooped them up. Passing them out amongst them. She looked at the one left in her hand. _Hermione Granger, rescue mission. _

The floor of the box shuddered, the pavement rose up around them as they sunk down into the atrium.

/\

They followed Harry's instructions and directions as they hurried through the Department of Mysteries. Through the many darkly-tiled halls they ran, until they finally reached the room he had been dreaming about, the room in which he saw Sirius. The ceiling was as **high as a church and full of nothing but towering shelves covered in small, dusty, glass orbs. They glimmered dully in the light issuing from move candle-brackets set at intervals along the shelves. Their flames were burning blue. The room was very cold.**

"What row did you say it was?" Hermione whispered to Harry, clutching onto her wand tightly.

"Ninety-seven."

"**We need to go right, I think" she said, squinting to the next row. "Yes … that's fifty-four ..."**

They crept forward, staying close and glancing behind them as they followed the long alleys of shelves. Hermione looked at the orbs on the shelves. Tiny yellow labels had been stuck underneath each one. Some had a weird, liquid glow; others were as dull and dark within as blown light bulbs.

The row numbers became greater, the suspense grew. Hermione found herself gripping onto Ginny's hand tightly, cold and clammy with every step.  
Finally reaching row ninety-seven, **they stood grouped around the end of the row, gazing down at the alley beside it. There was nobody there. **

"He was at the other end," Harry said, setting off between the shelves, "he should be near here."

Hermione watched Harry disappear, quickly followed by Ron and Ginny. Luna shrugged before following, as did Neville. Hermione brought up the rear. She felt claustrophobic surrounded by the towering rows of glass balls, some of which glowed softly as they passed.  
Hermione was convinced that any moment the ragged form of Sirius would come into view. But with each step she took, this belief decreased.

They reached the end of the row and were once again surrounded by the dim light of the blue flames. **There was nobody there. All was echoing, dusty silence.**

"Harry?" Hermione asked timidly, pushing between Ginny and Neville to stand alongside him.

"He must me somewhere … I …"

"Harry, I … I don't think Sirius is here."

Nobody spoke. Harry paced on the spot, staring wildly around them. He ran along a few rows, Hermione stood and watched him.

"**Harry?" Ron called. **Harry did not respond. Hermione turned to see Ron back down the row from where they had come.

"Harry?" Ron called again.

"What?" Harry returned to the group, a look of distress across his face.

"**Have you seen this?" said Ron.**

"**What?" repeated Harry, but eagerly this time. **They strode over to Ron, a little way down row ninety-seven. Hermione saw nothing more than Ron staring at one of the dusty glass spheres on the shelf.

"Harry, it has your name on it."

Hermione stepped forward, her neck craning a few shelves above her eye-line. She looked at the small yellowing label, dated some sixteen years previously.

_S.P.T to A.P.W.B.D  
Dark Lord  
and Harry Potter_

"What does it mean?" Ginny asked.  
Ron shrugged.

Harry reached up to the orb, his hand outstretched.

"**Harry, I don't think you should touch it," said Hermione sharply.**

"**Why not?" he said. "It's something to do with me, isn't it?"**

"**Don't Harry," said Neville suddenly. **Hermione looked at him. Neville's round face was shining slightly with sweat. He looked as though he could not take much more suspense.

"C'mon Neville, it's got my name on." Harry said. Hermione held her breath as his fingers closed around the glass orb. He lifted it from the stand and they all stared at it. The glow reflected on their faces as Hermione looked around at the other five. Nothing happened.

"**Very good, Potter. Now turn around, nice and slowly, and give it to me."**

Hermione's head whipped around at this familiar voice to see black shapes emerging out of thin air around them, blocking their way left and right. She head Ginny's gasp of horror.

"**To me, Potter," repeated the drawling voice of Lucius Malfoy as he held out his hand, palm up. **He was not looking at Harry, but in fact, Hermione. She stared at him, a mixture of hate and terror spread across her face. Lucius smirked.

"I want to know where Sirius is!" Harry shouted.

"_I want to know where Sirius is!" _Mimicked the cloaked figure to his left. Her voice was high pitched and shrill. She lowered her hood. Bellatrix Lestrange; Hermione recognised her from her wanted poster. Draco's aunt.

/\

Hermione was fighting for her life. She was using every spell she could muster to fight off the black-cloaked figures that had infiltrated the Department of Mysteries. She had somehow ended up alone in a duel with Lucius himself, in the Thought Chamber: a room that contained a tank of brains swimming in a green solution. The pinkish grey forms made Hermione shudder.

"Everte Statum!" Hermione screamed, hitting Lucius in the chest. He fell backwards onto the stone floor. Slowly, he rose to his feet.

"I have to say Miss Granger, you're a surprisingly accomplished witch. Draco was right."

He flicked his wand at her, narrowly missing her left ear with his curse.

"You doubt your son?"

"There is only one thing I doubt about Draco," Lucius said simply. "And it is his ability to uphold the family name."

Hermione stopped for a second and stared at Mr Malfoy. _Uphold the family name? _Malfoy was quite possibly the most pure-blooded in their year. Upholding the family name was probably the most important thing to him, besides quidditch.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked, casting another spell. Lucius lazily shielded it.

"A girl like you, Miss Granger, would tarnish our family's history. A _mudblood_ in the House of Malfoy?" he sneered.

"What do I matter to your family?"

"Come come, Miss Granger, you cannot honestly say that you don't still think about Draco?"

Hermione gaped at him for a moment. Could she honestly say that she didn't think about him?  
Definitely not. But this was no place for truths.

"It was over a year ago, Lucius. Do you think he'd still be on my mind?"

"I'm pretty sure you're still on his."

Hermione flushed.  
It did not take her long to make the link. Lucius was behind everything. The smiles, the kiss, they were genuine. The animosity was nothing more than a mask.  
Hermione heard a chuckle and looked back up at Lucius. Her expression turned to anger. Lucius Malfoy was an evil manipulator.

"Impedimenta!"

Lucius' body was flung into the air, landing in one of the tanks of brains. Tentacles reached out and grabbed his body, dragging him across the surface. Lucius struggled, trying in vain to break free.

Hermione ran from the chamber to find the others. She reached the Death Chamber, which was animated with battle. She saw Order members about the great court-like room, great streaks of light flashing as they cast spells. She ran down the steps to aid Neville, who was attempting to fight off a Death Eater whilst clutching his swollen and bloody nose. Lupin also turned to help, the combination of their spells overcame the black cloaked man.

**Only one pair was still battling, **Sirius and Bellatrix.  
**Hermione saw Sirius duck Bellatrix's jet of red light: he was laughing at her.**

"**Come on, you can do better than that!" he yelled, his voice echoing around the cavernous room.**

**The second jet of light hit him squarely on the chest.**

**The laughter had not quite died from his face, but his eyes widened in shock.**

Hermione froze in horror as she witnessed the age it took for Sirius to fall: his body curving in a graceful arc as he sank backwards through the ragged veil hanging from the arch.

/\

The weeks passed and Hermione was not quite sure how Harry was coping. He seemed somewhat blank, which would be expected after him loosing the last link to family he had. She wanted to comfort him, but Harry objected.

**The journey home on the Hogwarts Express was **somewhat eventful. **Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle, who had clearly been waiting for the opportunity **to strike Harry without a teacher witness. **They attempted to ambush him on the way back from the toilet. The attack might have succeeded had it not been for the fact that they had unwittingly chose to stage the attack right outside a compartment full of DA members, who saw what was happening through the glass and rose as one to rush to Harry's aid.**

After hearing the noise, Hermione left the compartment she was sharing with Ron, Ginny, Luna and Neville to investigate. She saw Harry, Ernie and Justin hoisting the three into the luggage rack and smiled. Malfoy seemed to have no luck with return journeys. She walked over and looked at his immobilised body. She tried her hardest not to release him from the spell, looking into his blue grey eyes with pity. Guilt spread through her at this, and she remembered watching Aurors extract his father from the brain tank.

Hermione's eyes remained in contact with Draco's until Harry took her arm and lead her back to their compartment.

/\

_Phew, that was a lot of effort.  
Actually really excited for the next chapter!_

_Have to start breaking away from the quotes, Chapter 11 will contain none.  
I hope you will like them the same, if not more than the usual chapters – I will still use quotes from HBP, just less in some chapters and more in others._

_Just thought I'd fill you in with the details of what is to come._

_Lemon Cheese_

_xxx_


	11. Chapter 11

_This was meant to go up last night, but I was cruelly separated from my beloved laptop and had to wait until today :(  
I have been working on this for a while to make sure I get it right. The locations are ridiculously over-researched, so you can check out maps and such if you want. Hermione really could stop in Highworth on the way to Bath from Oxford if she wanted to.  
I really wanted to bridge the books together, instead of waiting until Hermione returned to the Burrow/Hogwarts_

_I really hope you like this..._

**/\**

"Can we stop? I think I need some fresh air." Hermione said, looking out of the car window to the bright blue sky. There were no clouds and the sun shone harshly down upon them but the temperature was relatively cool. Not like British summers were that hot anyway. She felt claustrophobic inside the small family car, and needed to get out.

"Can't we wait until we get to Swindon?" her mother asked, turning around in the passenger seat to look at her daughter.  
Hermione was sat with a copy of the _Daily Prophet _in her lap. She hated the paper, but it was her only contact with the wizarding world for the next few days. Her hair was tied back loosely in a French Plait, she wore jeans and a plain t-shirt. _Very muggle. _

"No, no. We'll stop in Highworth. Just to stretch our legs. Swindon will be a nightmare to find parking." Mr Granger said, smiling as he looked into the rear-view mirror at Hermione. She smiled back.  
He turned off the main road and followed the signs to the small Wiltshire town.

"I'm going to go and get a drink," Hermione said as she got out of the car. She felt in her pockets, but she had was her wand and a few knuts. She looked up at her mother who understood and reached for her purse.

"Here you go honey. You know, you should really carry _our _sort of money around as well," She handed Hermione a five pound note. "You never know when you'll need it."

"We'll meet you back at the car in about ten minutes or so?" Mr Granger said, patting his daughter affectionately on the back. "I'm going to go and check out the _King and Queen Inn_. Apparently, it's haunted."

Hermione found a small shop a few doors down from the pub, looking around for bottles of water as she entered.

/\

Draco kicked a small stone at the edge of the pavement, staring at it and burying his hands deep in his pockets. It was the first time he'd managed to leave Malfoy Manor in days. He seemed unable to escape the clutches of his mother, who had become very protective since his father was arrested in the Department of Mysteries. He was out of contact from his friends, and didn't dare venture anywhere near London. Reporters seemed to follow him everywhere when he went there.

So he had remained in the prison that was his family home. The local village was his only escape, but he felt uncomfortable being surrounded by muggles.

He walked along the road by the parish church and towards the high street. He supposed he could spend some time time in the Market Square, act like a muggle and peruse the shops and stalls.

Looking up to avoid bumping into people, Draco smirked at a middle-aged man staring at the local pub in awe. _Tourists.  
_But then something caught his eye. He saw something familiar on the back-seat of a silver Citroen parked next to him.

It was a folded up newspaper, it looked more yellow than your usual muggle print. Because it was printed on parchment. He stopped to take a closer look through the car window. _The Daily Prophet._

There was another witch or wizard in Highworth!

Draco didn't know how to feel about this, he didn't know if he could face the judgemental stares. He hurried past the strange man staring at the inn and stepped inside the news agents to distract himself. He stepped quickly through the door without looking and bumped into someone, knocking the bottle of water out of her hand.

"JESUS CHRIST!"

"_Who?_ Er, I'm so sorry I ..." Draco Malfoy looked up to see who he had just collided with. She looked up at him. "Hermione?"

"Draco? What ..."

"I live near here, remember?"  
Obviously she didn't as she gave him a blank look. She stared down at the damp patch where she'd spilled water on her t-shirt and on her jeans.  
There was not much she could do, it was over a month and a half to her seventeenth birthday, so magic wasn't an option. Even if she was of age, she could see the muggle woman behind the counter staring at them. Draco began to take his jumper off to give to her, but Hermione shook her head and proceeded to try and wring the water out by twisting at her t-shirt. She sighed and looked back at him, both feeling rather awkward.

"So, what brings you to Highworth?" Draco asked, nervously raking his hands through his hair.

"Erm, we're on our way to Bath," Hermione said.

"We?"

"Me and my parents."

"Ah. You live in Oxford, right?"

"Yeah."

Hermione felt immensely uncomfortable. She hadn't really seen him since the incident in Umbridge's office, only briefly on the train journey back to London. Draco didn't know what his father had told her. Hermione knew exactly how he felt about her, but didn't know what to say. They just stood and stared at each other.

There was a quiet tinkling of a bell as the shop door opened. Draco turned around and recognised the strange man from outside _The King and Queen Inn. _He walked over to Hermione and smiled.

"We're going now, Herms. Your mum wants to try and get to Bath in time for lunch," he looked down and saw the empty water bottle on the floor and Hermione's wet t-shirt. "Oh dear. I'll get you another one sweetie."

He pulled out his wallet and bought another bottle. As Mr Granger turned back to them, he finally noticed Draco, who was still looking at Hermione. She was blushing and staring at the floor.

"Hermione, who's this?" her father asked.

"Oh, er, no-one." she said, snapping her head back up to look at him. Draco's heart began to sink. Mr Granger shrugged and lead his daughter out of the shop and back to the car.

/\

Hermione walked through the park entrance, a stone gateway topped with a lion. She smiled at this, thinking of the Gryffindor common room, where there was a small stone lion on one of the windowsills. She ambled down the quiet pathways of Victoria Park, lingering by a pond where small children were releasing toy sailboats across its waters. The paper sails flapped in the gentle breeze, floating out to the middle of the pond.  
One capsized briefly, before somehow resurfacing and continuing on its journey. Hermione remembered the Durmstrang ship emerging from the depths of the black lake in her forth year; shocking students as its skeletal mast and sails appeared from the water. She watched the little boat cut across the clear water, standing closer to the edge to view it. Her eyes focused on it as she blocked out everything around her.

Hermione was snapped out of this illusion when a mallard duck swam over into view. She once again smiled before leaving the waterside.

The light of the sun began to fade as small dark clouds rolled in. This was the British summer that Hermione remembered; nothing said England like rain. She glanced around for any sign of cover.  
She saw a glimpse of a building made from Bath-stone and headed towards it. It was surrounded by trees; hiding in a small glade that overlooked the park.

The heavens began to open just as she made it under cover. It was a Roman temple, fronted by three arches. Inside there was a wooden bench, but it was already occupied.

"I see you made it to Bath then. But I thought you'd be off sightseeing with you parents?"

"What are you doing in Bath?"

"A day out I suppose. Escape the restricting grip of my mother." he smirked.

"Not to look for me then?"

"Nope." Draco's lips popped at the end of the word.

Hermione looked out at the rain soaked park, water falling from the grey sky. The falling water provided a quiet backdrop of noise as it hit the leaves on the trees.  
She quietly dropped down next to him on the bench, placing her bag on her lap. She continued to stare out at the rain, avoiding the pair of eyes looking at her. He shifted slightly to turn his body towards her.

"Hermione?"

Hermione turned to look at him, their eyes meeting. There was a certain look of sincerity in them; his bluey grey eyes had an unusual look of warmth. _Why was he here?_

"Hermione," Draco repeated, "I'm sorry."

"About what?" Hermione asked quietly.

"Everything."  
He was still looking directly at her, not even so much of a blink as he spoke.

"Everything? Define 'everything'." she said slowly. Draco fidgeted with his hands, looking down at them. A little colour rose to his cheeks, before he looked back up at her.

"I'm sorry for telling you that you were never my girlfriend, you were my girlfriend and I really liked you. I'm sorry that I was cruel to you, I felt so bad when I saw you get upset. I'm sorry that I called you a mudblood, I regretted saying it straight away. I'm sorry I kissed you … well, actually … I'm not sorry for that." a small smile spread across his lips as he finished. Hermione played with the zip on her bag, not quite sure what to say.

"I'm sorry I kicked you in the balls." she mumbled. Draco sniggered quietly, refusing to comment.

"What?" Hermione asked, looking at the smirk across his face.

"You better be sorry. That hurt for weeks!"

"Sorry."

"_Hey_, this is meant to be _my _apology."

"Sorry."

"Hermione, shut it." Draco took her lips between his forefinger and thumb, holding them closed. She blushed, making his fingers feel colder against her mouth. He did not let go as he spoke.

"I didn't know … I didn't … it was so hard being around you last year, Hermione. I didn't know how to act. Please say you'll forgive me?"

Hermione nodded, Draco's hand still holding her lips closed. He loosened his grip, moving his hand to hold hers loosely. She smiled, looking at his expression mirroring her own.

"Only if you forgive me too."

Draco barked a laugh, looking away to the now torrential rain.

"Really, Hermione. You're remarkable."

"I've been told." She replied casually. His smile broadened.

Draco leaned closer to her; Hermione turned her head to acknowledge him. He moved closer, releasing her hand and cupping her face.  
Hermione jerked her head to the side, Draco's lips pressing against her cheek.

His body snapped rigid suddenly, moving away and letting go of her face. His lips now formed a hard line, his temple wrinkling slightly to form a frown. He stood up and walked towards one of the archway entrances.

"Sorry."

His fists were clenched by his sides, knuckles more white than usual. Hermione stood up, leaving her bag on the bench. She tentatively walked over to him, his back still turned away.

"Draco?"

He didn't move.

"Draco? It _can't_ just be repaired."

He still didn't move.

She put her hand on his arm, slowly turning him to her. His eyes refused to meet hers. He still stood motionless, staring out at nothing in particular.

Hermione stepped forward and hugged him.  
She waited; Draco's body finally loosened and his arms pulled her closer.  
They stood in an embrace until the rain stopped. With each breath Draco inhaled the scent of her floral shampoo; Hermione the musky smell of his t-shirt.

The clouds drifted away and the sun returned; the wet ground sparkled in the light. Hermione pulled away.

"I need to go." she said, retrieving her bag. Draco looked forlorn but hid it in calm expression as she turned back around. He grabbed her arm and pulled her into a final hug.

"I'll see you back at school." he croaked.

/\

_Like? I hope so :)_

_If people like this chapter, I can try writing a few more. But it goes back to normal in the next chapter when I start Half Blood Prince, going to the burrow, Diagon Alley etc.  
Help me get to 100, leave a review?  
Pretty Please  
Lemon Cheese  
(haha, it rhymes!)_

_xxx_


	12. Chapter 12

_Wow, thanks guys – I love you very much! Can't believe I'm over 100 reviews!  
Hopefully we can carry one doing the same? You can't believe how happy each one made me!_

_Special thank you to **That Romantic **for a lovely chat and all the help sorting out Draco's character. And to **Hollers **who was my hundredth reviewer!  
But obviously I love you all the same, hope you enjoy this new chapter :)_

/\

"**Mrs Weasley, you're quite, quite sure no owls have arrived this morning?"**

"**Yes, dear, I'd have noticed," said Mrs Weasley patiently. "But it's barely nine, there's still plenty of time ..."**

Hermione got up from the table and began pacing the kitchen, she could feel the cold tiled floor through her socks but didn't care. She knew that she'd messed up in Ancient Runes. The Defence Against the Dark Arts practical was disastrous; as for Transfiguration, she thought she'd done well at the time but looking back, it made her even more nervous.

"Hermione, you're not the only one who's on edge. Sit down, please!" Ron barked. "And when you've got your ten 'Outstanding' OWLs ..."

"**Don't, don't, don't!" said Hermione, flapping her hands hysterically. "I know I've failed everything!"**

Harry took her hand and pulled her down into the chair next to him at one end of the long table, just as a pale blonde girl floated into the room.

Fleur had been staying at The Burrow since before Hermione arrived. Bill invited her to get to know his family, something that Mrs Weasley was a little unsure about. Hermione was finding her more than a little annoying, especially when she was fussing over Harry. Ginny scowled at Fleur's back , sitting down opposite Hermione with a plate of toast as Fleur attempted to help Mrs Weasley prepare breakfast.  
Hermione traced the grain of the wood on the table as Mrs Weasley brought over a tray stacked with food, flicking her wand to set out plates in each place. Ron instantly began piling his plate up high, but not touching anything. They all seemed transfixed on the window, staring out at the rolling fields of Devon.

"**At Beauxbatons," said Fleur complacently, "we 'ad a different way of doing things. I think eet was better. We sat our examinations after six years of study, not five, and then -"**

**Fleur's words were drowned in a scream. Hermione was pointing towards the window. Three black specks were visible in the sky, growing larger all the time.**

Hermione ran over to the window, followed swiftly by Ron, opening in wide to let in the cool morning air. They were defiantly owls.

"Three owls," Harry said, slowly getting up to join them. "One for each of us."

Hermione gripped the two boys tightly around the elbows as she watched the birds fly closer.

**The owls were flying directly at The Burrow, three handsome tawnies, each of which, it became clear as they flew lower over the path leading up to the house, was carrying a large square envelope.**

They soared through the window and landed on the table in a neat line, Ginny withdrew her plate away from them and stood back up. All three of the owls lifted their right legs.

Hermione moved forwards toward the letter addressed to her. Her hands trembled as she tried to detach the parchment envelope, making the whole bird tremble.

Nobody in the kitchen spoke. Hermione looked at Ron and Harry before slitting the letter open quickly, unfolding the parchment inside.

_Ordinary Wizarding Level Results_

_Pass Grades: Outstanding (O), Exceeds Expectations (E), Acceptable (A)_

_Fail Grades: Poor (P),Dreadful (D), Troll (T)_

_Ancient Runes (O)  
Arithmancy (O)  
Astronomy (O)  
Care of Magical Creatures (O)  
Charms (O)  
Defense Against the Dark Arts (E)  
Herbology (O)  
History of Magic (O)  
Potions (O)  
Transfiguration (O)_

Hermione stood dumbfounded as the piece of parchment as the room buzzed around her.

"**Hermione?" said Ginny tentatively. "How did you do?"**

"**I – not bad," said Hermione in a small voice. **She showed them her results and received warm hugs from the three Weasleys, Harry and Fleur. A smile spread slowly across her lips as she sat back down at the kitchen table and poured herself a glass of juice.

"**Well, we're N.E.W.T. students now!" grinned Ron. "Mum, are there any more sausages?"**

/\

"We can't put it off any longer, we'll go today," Mrs Weasley sighed. "I still wish that you'd let me and Arthur go on our own."

"**No, I wanna come, I want to see Fred and George's shop!" said Ron hastily. **Harry nodded. Bill opened the kitchen door and poked his head around the frame.

"The cars are here."

They emerged from the house, pulling on their cloaks, to see two familiar Ministry cars that they had used just before their third year. Hermione followed Ginny and piled into the back of one.

**The Leaky Cauldron was, for the first time in Hermione's memory, completely empty. Only Tom the landlord, wizened and toothless, remained of the old crowd.**

The group, lead by Hagrid who had met them outside of the pub, walked out into the chilly courtyard at the back where the dustbins stood. **Hagrid raised his pink umbrella and rapped on a certain brick in the wall, which opened at once to form an archway on to a winding cobbled street.**

Diagon Alley had changed. There seemed to be Ministry of Magic posters everywhere over boarded up shops, those that were still open seemed to be dark and dusty. Hermione clung onto Harry's arm as they passes the rows of shabby stalls that had appeared in the street.

"I think I need new robes," Harry muttered, Hermione nodded. "Mrs Weasley, we're just going in here."

Harry wafted his free hand in the vague direction of Madam Malkins. Mrs Weasley looked anxiously at them, muttering something about staying together, but Hagrid insisted that he would stand guard outside the shop.

"You coming too, Ron?"

"Nah, you go. I wanna see Fred and George."

So Harry and Hermione entered the little shop together. **It appeared, at first glance, to be empty, but no sooner had the door swung shut behind them they heard a familiar voice issuing from behind a rack of dress robes in spangled green and blue.**

"**... not a child, in case you haven't noticed, Mother. I am perfectly capable of doing my shopping **_**alone."**_

There was a tutting noise that Hermione suspected to be Madam Malkin.

"_Fine. _I shall be waiting for you in Flourish and Blott's. Come and find me when you're done in here."

A tall, thin figure appeared at the end of the rail where Harry and Hermione were stood. Her pale blonde hair was pulled back into a loose bun and Hermione noticed how tired her eyes looked. She sighed, pulling her cloak tight around her as she opened the door and left.

Harry took Hermione's hand and lead her to the counter. Madam Malkin smiled as Harry spoke to her, although Hermione wasn't listening. She let go of Harry and walked slowly in the direction of the voice that she had head upon entering the shop.

**A teenage boy with a pale, pointed face and white-blonde hair appeared from behind a rack wearing a handsome set of dark green robes that glittered with pins around the hem and the edge of the sleeves. He strode to the mirror and examined himself; **it was only a few moments before he noticed Hermione reflected over his shoulder. She stepped a little closer.

"Nice robes."

"Erm, thanks." Draco said, turning around to look at her. He smiled a little as he took the pinned robes off, revealing a long sleeved t-shirt and jeans.

"So, er, good OWL results?" she asked shyly.

"Yeah, they were okay," he replied. "What about you?"

"They were good." Hermione nodded.

"Good? Hermione I've known you, what is it? Over five years? 'Good' isn't the right word. 'Outstanding' maybe?" Draco grinned.

"Hey, I only got nine O's!" She punched him lightly on the arm.

"A lot more than I got."

Hermione giggled quietly and they stood awkwardly for a few moments by the floor-length mirror. Draco eyed her reflection, or possibly his own, Hermione wasn't sure.

"So... where else do you have to go today?" Hermione said, breaking the silence.

"Well Flourish and Blott's I think, the apothecary and …"

He trailed off, looking out of the shop window to the dark street. He seemed lost in thought.

"Draco?"

His grey eyes snapped back to look at her. He reached out and touched her arm.

"I've just realised that I need to go," he said earnestly "I'll see you … back at school."

Draco turned on his heel and left the shop, the door snapping shut behind him.

"Sure." Hermione said quietly.

Harry appeared by her side, along with Madam Malkin and her many enchanted tape measures.

/\

"So since when were you and Malfoy back on speaking terms?" Harry asked as he and Hermione left the shop with their purchases. Hermione once again clung onto his arm.

"Oh, not long. We're just civil. I don't like holding grudges." she said, avoiding a seedy looking wizard who was rattling armfuls of silver symbols on chains at passers by.

"I suppose that's okay. Just watch out, will you?" Harry looked at her and smiled. They continued down the street.

"_Whoa,_" they said in unison, stopping in their tracks.

**Set against the dull, poster-muffled shop fronts around them, Fred and George's windows hit the eye like a firework display. Casual passers-by were looking back over their shoulders at the windows, and a few rather stunned-looking people had actually come to a halt, transfixed. The left-hand window was dazzlingly full of an assortment of goods that revolved, popped, flashed, bounced and shrieked; **Hermione's eyes watered just looking at it. The right-hand window was covered by a poster that seemed just like the other Ministry posters, but instead had the flashing yellow letters:

_Why Are You Worrying About You-Know-Who?  
You SHOULD Be Worrying About_

_U-NO-POO_

_the Constipation Sensation That's Gripping the Nation!_

Hermione stared at it, unsure how to react. **Harry started to laugh. **They heard a weak sort of moan beside them and **looked to see Mrs Weasley gazing, dumb-founded, at the poster. Her lips moved, silently mouthing the name, 'U-No-Poo.'**

"**They'll be murdered in their beds!" she whispered.**

"**No they won't!" said Ron, **appearing at her side clutching a stack of books. Like Harry, he too was laughing. **"This is brilliant!"**

**And he and Harry led the way into the shop. It was packed with customers, Hermione could not get near any of the shelves. **They stared around, looking at boxes piled up to the ceiling. Hermione saw the Skiving Snackboxes that the twins had perfected during their last, unfinished year at Hogwarts; boxes of quills, which came in Self-Inking, Spell-Checking and Smart-Answer varieties. Everywhere she looked, Hermione saw a different amazing type of product. She **managed to squeeze through to a large display near the counter to read the information on the back of a box bearing a highly coloured picture of a handsome youth and a swooning girl who were standing on the deck of a pirate ship. **In purple letters on the side it said 'Patented Daydream Charms'.

"_**'One simple incantation and you will enter a top-quality, highly realistic thirty-minute daydream, easy to fit into the average school lesson and virtually undetectable (side effects include vacant expression and minor drooling). Not for sale to under-sixteens.' **_**You know," **she said, looking up at Harry and Ginny, "that really is extraordinary magic!"

"**For that, Hermione," said a voice behind them, "you can have one for free."**

**A beaming Fred stood before them, wearing a set of magenta robes that clashed magnificently with his flaming red hair. **Ginny threw herself into her brother's arms, he returned the hug before giving one to Hermione, and shaking Harry's hand.

George then joined them along with Ron, who was trying to convince his brother to give him a discount.

"Three Galleons, nine Sickles and a Knut," George said, examining the many boxes in Ron's arms. "Cough up."

"**I'm you're brother!"**

"**And that's our stuff you're nicking. Three Galleons, nine Sickles. I'll knock off the Knut."**

"**But I don't have thee Galleons, nine Sickles!"**

"Well you'd better put it all back then," Fred smiled, instructing a staff member to help him.

Ron swore and made a rude hand gesture at him, but was unfortunately spotted by Mrs Weasley, who had chosen at that moment to appear.

"**If I see you do that again I'll jinx your fingers together," she said sharply.**

She then walked away with Fred, George and Ginny to find Mr Weasley, leaving Harry, Ron and Hermione by the window. They saw Draco Malfoy hurrying up the street alone. **As he passed Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, he glanced over his shoulder **but did not see them watching him. **Seconds later, he moved beyond the scope of the window and they lost sight of him.**

"**Wonder where his mummy is?" **said Ron, frowning.

"Given her the slip by the looks of it," said Harry.

"**Why, though?" said Hermione.**

They stood in silence for a few moments, before Harry reached for his backpack.

"**Get under here, quick," he said, pulling his Invisibility Cloak out of his bag.**

"**Oh – I don't know, Harry" said Hermione, **looking uncertainly around the shop. Following Malfoy somehow made her feel guilty.

"Come _on_!" said Ron.

**She hesitated for a second longer, then ducked under the Cloak with Harry and Ron. Nobody noticed them vanish; they were all too interested in Fred and George's products.**

**Harry, Ron and Hermione squeezed their way out of the door as quickly as they could, but by the time they gained the street, Malfoy had disappeared just as successfully as they had.**

Hermione scanned down the cobbled road for a glance of pale-blonde hair. They scurried along, peering left and right. They looked though shop windows and doors as they passed them.

"That's him, isn't it?" Harry whispered, pointing ahead. "Turning left?"

"**Big surprise," whispered Ron.**

**For Malfoy had glanced around, then slid into Knockturn Alley and out of sight. **

They hurried after him, careful not to become too close. They reached the bottom of the steps to an even darker street. The side street devoted to the Dark Arts looked completely deserted. They watched Draco walk briskly along the street and enter a shop: Borgin and Burkes.

"If only we could hear what they're saying!" said Harry.

"**We can!" said Ron excitedly. "Hang on – damn -"**

Ron fumbled about in his pockets before producing something that looked like a fleshy piece of string. An Extendable Ear.

"It won't really work for all three of us," Hermione said, "You two listen instead, I'm okay."

Harry looked at her with a worried expression, Ron just shrugged. They leant over to listen and Hermione watched them.

"He wants something fixed ..." Harry whispered, "He can't bring it into the shop … he's threatening Borgin with Fenrir Greyback? … 'Don't tell anyone about this, especially not my mother' … quick, he's leaving the shop!"

They removed the string from their ears and Ron stuffed it into his pocket. **Malfoy stalked out of the shop looking very pleased with himself. He passed so close to them that they felt the cloak flutter around their knees. **They looked through the shop window to see Borgin stood frozen; his usual unctuous smile had vanished; he looked worried.

"What was that all about?" Hermione asked.

"**Dunno," said Harry, thinking hard. "He wants something mended … and he wants to reserve something in there … could you see what he pointed at when he said 'that one'?"**

He turned to Ron, who was still looking through the window.

"**No, he was behind that cabinet -"**

"**You two stay here," whispered Hermione.**

"**What are you -?"**

**But Hermione had already ducked out form under the Cloak. She checked her hair in the reflection in the glass, **then followed Malfoy up the steps to Diagon Alley.

She caught up with him when he reached Eeylops Owl Emporium. She pretended to be leaving the shop.

"Draco?"

He stopped but didn't turn around.

"Draco, are you okay?"

He turned around, pulling his sleeves down over his hands and folding his arms. He raised his eyebrows at her, as she was still panting a little from running after him.

"_Yeah_, why?"

"You look like you're in a hurry that's all."

"I need to meet my mother, I ..."

He shifted his weight between his feet, uncrossed his arms and buried his hands deep in his pockets.

"So you've been to the apothecary then?" she asked, he nodded.

"But it's that way?"

Hermione pointed over his shoulder to a little store near the entrance from the Leaky Cauldron.

"I was … looking at the Weasel's shop window."

"Okay..."

"Hermione, I really have to go ..."

He walked off at a near-running pace and into Flourish and Blott's, leaving Hermione stood alone in the street. Something prodded her in the back.

"What did he say?" Harry asked, pulling the Cloak off him and Ron.

"He lied to me." Hermione said.

/\

**Hermione spent a lot of the last week of the holidays pondering the meaning of Draco's behaviour in Knockturn Alley. **She didn't understand the satisfied look on his face as he left the shop. It confused her, especially the sudden change when she confronted him.

**Mrs Weasley had been urging them all for days not to leave their washing and packing until the last moment. On the landing Hermione bumped into Ginny, who was returning to her room carrying a pile of freshly laundered clothes.**

"**I wouldn't go in the kitchen just now," she warned her best friend, "There's a lot of Phlegm around."**

Hermione nodded and opted to go into the lounge instead. As she walked through the door she saw the fireplace glow green, Harry was stood looking at it.

"What was that?" she asked.

Harry turned around absent-mindedly and looked at her.

"Oh? The fire? It was … Lupin."

She studied his expression, he smiled at her.

"Sorting out arrangements for King's Cross?"

"Yeah." Harry said, helping her with the pile of washing in her arms and opening the kitchen door for her.

/\

_WOW, never done over 3,000 words before! Yay me! Siriusly can't wait to update again :D_

_Thinking of making Hermione use the Daydream Charm as a special extra chapter, just for a bit of fluffyness ;) feel free to suggest what you'd like to see (keep it rated T though?)_

_Dedicated to Ailsa, because she asked me very nicely to do so :)_


	13. Chapter 13

_Thanks for all the lovely reviews, so glad that you're all enjoying it. And a hello to all the people who read but don't review :)_

_I give you another chapter, which JKR can claim rights to if she wants_

/\

The departure from The Burrow was smoother than usual. The Ministry cars glided up the driveway to find them waiting: trunks packed. **Hermione's cat, Crookshanks, safely enclosed in his travelling basket, and Hedwig, Ron's owl Pigwidgeon, and Ginny's new purple Pygmy Puff, Arnold, in cages.**

"Au revoir, 'Ermione," said Fleur throatily, kissing Hermione on both cheeks. **Ron hurried forward looking hopeful, but Ginny stuck out her foot and Ron fell, sprawling in the dust at Fleur's feet. Furious, red-faced and dirt-spattered, he hurried into the car without saying goodbye.**

They were greeted by a pair of grim-faced Aurors in Muggle suits the moment that they stepped out of the cars at King's Cross. They escorted the group onto the platform, remaining silent the whole time. Mrs Weasley glanced around nervously as they walked, gripping onto her husband's arm tightly. They passed through the barrier in pairs, Hermione holding onto Ron's hand as he pulled her through.

Once on the station, Harry motioned to Hermione and Ron to follow him up the platform to find an empty compartment.

"**We can't, Harry," said Hermione, looking apologetic. "Ron and I've got to go to the prefect carriage first and then patrol the corridors for a bit."**

"**Oh yeah, I forgot," said Harry. **Hermione saw a slight twinge of sadness across his face, guilt struck through her.

**There was a whistle behind them; nearly everyone had boarded the train and the doors were closing.**

"**You'd better hurry," said Mr Weasley, **as Mrs Weasley said "Quickly!"

Hermione, Ron, Harry and Ginny hurried forwards and loaded their trunks onto the train with the help of the Aurors and Mr and Mrs Weasley. They were about to get on, when Mrs Weasley lightly grasped Hermione and Harry's arms.

"**Now dears, you're coming to us for Christmas, it's all fixed with Dumbledore, so we'll see you quite soon." **She herded them onto the train and shut the door. Hermione and Ginny stood by the open window as Mrs Weasley looked at them sincerely. **"You make sure you look after youselves and -"**

**The train gathered speed.**

"**- be good and -"**

**She was jogging to keep up now.**

"**- stay safe!"**

They waved until the train had turned the corner and Mr and Mrs Weasley were lost from view. Hermione turned around to see Ron pointing towards the front of the train, where the prefect carriage was. She said goodbye to Harry and Ginny, then followed him down the narrow student-packed corridor.

The other prefects were already there when they arrived, all except Draco and Pansy. Hermione frowned at this, wondering whether she should go find them, but Ron just shrugged.

"Doesn't matter really, it's not like they'll be missed."

He grabbed some food from the table, passing Hermione a tangerine. They stepped out back onto the corridor to begin patrols and ate as they walked in silence.

When they reached the next carriage along, Hermione peered into Compartment C to see a rather squat, balding old man sat alone inside. She instantly realised him to be Horace Slughorn, the man Harry visited with Dumbledore. She just hoped that he'd be a good teacher, anything would be better than Umbridge.

Ron pulled her away and they continued down the corridor, she began to peel her tangerine and pull apart the segments.  
Hermione was just about to put one in her mouth when she saw a familiar head of pale blonde hair out of the corner of her eye.

**Malfoy was lying down across two seats with his head in Pansy Parkinson's lap. **Hermione watched as Pansy stroked Draco's sleek blond hair off his forehead, **smirking as ****she did so, as though anyone would have loved to have been in her place. **Hermione scowled.

Pansy turned her head and saw Hermione stood at the compartment door, looking through the glass. Her smirk grew wider and Hermione narrowed her eyes.  
Draco saw Pansy's expression and sat up to inspect what she was grinning at, but by this time Hermione had already stomped off to join Ron again for patrols.

/\

"**Malfoy's not doing prefect duty. He's just sitting in his compartment with the other Slytherins, we saw him when we passed."**

Ron and Hermione collapsed into spare seats, Ron opposite Harry and Hermione next to him. Harry looked pensive, resting his head in his hands.

"**What did he do when he saw you?"**

"I don't think he saw either of us, to be honest." Ron said indifferently, accepting a Drooble's from Neville. Harry looked at Hermione.

"Did he see you?" he asked.

"No, but Pansy did," Hermione said, looking at the quizzical expression on her friend's face. "What?"

Harry pointed over her shoulder to the compartment door. Hermione turned to see the door slide open, **a breathless third-year girl stepped inside.**

"**I'm supposed to deliver these to Neville Longbottom and Harry P-Potter." she faltered, as her eyes met Harry's and she turned scarlet. She was holding two scrolls of parchment tied with a violet ribbon. Perplexed, Harry and Neville took the scroll addressed to each of them and the girl stumbled back out of the compartment.**

Hermione studied Harry's expression once again, as he broke the seal of the scroll. She enquired as to what it was.

"An invitation from Professor Slughorn." he said.

"**Who's Professor Slughorn?" asked Neville, looking perplexedly at his own invitation.**

"**New teacher," said Harry. "Well I suppose we'll have to go, won't we?"**

"**But what does he want me for?" asked Neville nervously, as though he were expecting detention.**

Hermione offered him a warm smile as he and Harry exited the compartment. She got up on her feet and announced that she was going to go and find Ginny, leaving Ron and Luna alone in the compartment. _That looked like it would be awkward._

After sliding the door closed behind her, Hermione squeezed past students to walk up the corridor, smiling at the first years already in their uniforms. She was nearing the end of the carriage when she heard am urgent voice.

"Psst, Hermione!"

Before she could react, a cool hand grabbed her wrist, pulling her into an empty compartment. It seemed oddly familiar.

"Draco?"

"Yes, yes, thought I'd pull you in for a little chat." he said hastily.

"What do you want?" Hermione asked, folding her arms and sitting down opposite him.

"Blaise got invited to some meeting and I can't find Nott anywhere. I needed better company than _Pansy._"

Hermione's eyes narrowed as she remembered events not even a few hours ago. Draco watched impassively as she gripped tighter to the edge of the seat.

"Pansy? You seemed perfectly comfortable with her company when your head was in her lap." Hermione brought her hand to her mouth almost as soon as she finished her acid-toned utterance; instantly regretting what she had just said.  
Malfoy's expression was confused for a moment, before his mouth contorted into a smirk. He leant forwards closer to her, looking her straight in the eye.

"Hermione, is that jealousy I note?"

"No!" she replied, a little too quickly.

"It is!" Draco said, his grin widening as he moved back away from her and put his hands behind his head.

"Shut up." Hermione's face slowly turned red.

"Whatever. You were jealous, admit it."

"I wasn't. Besides, I was only looking in to see why you weren't doing your prefect duties."

She stood up, ready to leave. Draco reciprocated.

"Couldn't be bothered." he said quietly, Hermione felt his breath hit her as they stood close in the small compartment.

"Quite the rebel, aren't you?"

Their bodies were almost touching, drawn together in the enclosed space. Hermione's heart was pounding as she looked up at his watery grey eyes.

"Yes, I think I am. And you love it." he smirked.  
Hermione turned beetroot and stepped away to the door.

"I have to … erm … I have to go. Harry would probably be back from his meeting with..."

"He's at the same thing as Blaise?" Draco interrupted. Hermione nodded, unable to speak. "Well, I need to go as well."

He reached for the door handle and slid it open, allowing Hermione through first.

"You need to go to find Blaise?" she asked.

"What? Erm, yeah. Blaise."

He turned and walked away, leaving Hermione feeling slightly confused. **The corridors were almost completely empty now. Nearly everyone had returned to change into their school robes and pack up their possessions. **Hermione walked back hastily to her compartment. Ron, Luna and Neville were there, already in their school robes. But Harry didn't seem to have returned.

/\

**The Great Hall, with its four long house tables and its staff table at the top of the room, was decorated as usual with floating candles that made the plates below glitter and glow.**

Hermione found a seat next to Ron, who was eyeing the empty plates hungrily. She looked around for any sign of Harry. She even asked Dean and Seamus, but they said they hadn't seen him since Platform 9¾.

As other students sat down, Hermione noticed that Draco was missing from the Slytherin house table. She drummed her fingers on the bench in the empty space where Harry should have been, anxious as she continued to search for them. Ginny sat down on her other side and put her arm around her.

"Calm down, 'Mione. Harry will be along any minute." she said reassuringly.

There was a the loud clunk as the Great Hall doors were shut. Hermione snapped her head around to see Harry walking briskly along the benches, sitting down abruptly between her and Ron.

"**Where've you – blimey, what've you done to your face?" said Ron, goggling at him along with everyone else in the vicinity.**

"**Why, what's wrong with it?"**

"**You're covered in blood!" said Hermione. "Come here -"**

**She raised her wand, said, _'Tergeo!' _and siphoned off the dried blood. **As she put her wand back in her pocket, she looked over to see Malfoy sitting down next to Theodore Nott, leaning close to mutter something in his ear.

"Hermione?"

She turned back around to see Harry looking at her earnestly. He rubbed her back and pulled her closer to him, restraining her from looking back at the Slytherin.

"Relax, Hermione."

_**/\**_

_**A/N: **Not much of a long chapter, but is/was important :)  
I promise Dramione action soon, can't actually wait for it! Just need to get a few things out of the way before I reunite our beloved couple._

_Lemon Cheese_

_xxx_


	14. Chapter 14

_This chapter covers a lot in a short space of time. I didn't really expect it to be this long!  
Also thought that you'd like to know that I'm planning a prequel (no quotes though) to What If once it is complete. Just to fill you in on how they came to be, their first kiss and to give you some more Draco/Hermione banter :)_

_/\_

**Harry and Ron met Hermione in the common room before breakfast the next morning. **Hermione had come downstairs before them and curled up in one of the armchairs staring out at the cold September sky. She smiled as the two boys entered the room, getting up to greet them, ignoring the large amount of people staring at Harry. They seemed to be whispering behind their hands. _The Chosen One. _The _Daily Prophet _had speculated about Harry over the summer, and it seemed that people were believing what they read.

"**It's rude to point," Ron snapped at a particularly minuscule first-year, **who had been muttering something about Harry behind his hand to his friend. They joined him in the queue to climb out of the portrait hole, providing more shock for the little boy. **He turned scarlet and toppled out of the hole in alarm. Ron sniggered.**

"**I love being in sixth-year. _And _we're going to be getting free time this year. Whole periods when we can just sit up here and relax."**

"**We're going to need that time for studying, Ron!" said Hermione, as they set off down the corridor.**

"**Yeah, but not today, said Ron, **grinning at her, **"today's going to be a real doss, I reckon."**

Ron was grossly mistaken. They endured a horrific double lesson of Defence Against the Dark Arts that morning; Snape started the new school year with non-verbal spells.

**A reasonable amount of cheating ensued; many people were merely whispering the incantation instead of saying it aloud. **Hermione managed to perfect it within ten minutes of the class beginning practice, deflecting Neville's Jelly-Legs Jinx without uttering a single word. But Snape was too busy patrolling the room to notice, stopping to see Ron and Harry as they struggled with the task.

"**Pathetic, Weasley," **he said, after a watching the pair for a while. **"Here – let me show you -"**

Hermione watched him suddenly turn to Harry and flick his wand, red light erupting from it.

"_Protego!" _Harry bellowed. He seemed to have forgotten all about _non-verbal _spells. The whole class turned around to see Snape, scowling as he stood up and brushed off his robes. Harry's Shield Charm had knocked him off him off-balance, falling back into Draco's desk. Snape narrowed his eyes.

"**Do you remember me telling you that you were practising _non-verbal _spells, Potter?"**

"**Yes," said Harry stiffly.**

"**Yes sir."**

"**There's no need to call me 'sir', Professor."**

Hermione gasped, but the rest of the room seemed to laugh. She could even see Draco out of the corner of her eye, his shoulders shaking as he tried to hide the grin spread across his face. Harry however, seemed not to change from the expression of sheer loathing that he directed at the professor.

"Detention, Saturday night, my office," said Snape. "Cheek like that deserves punishment, even if the student_ is_ the _Chosen One._"

"**That was brilliant, Harry!" chortled Ron, once they were safely on their way to break a short while later. **They made their way up a spiral staircase, dodging the vanishing step half way up, reaching the top to separate their different ways. Harry and Ron had a free period after break, but Hermione had an hour of Arithmancy. _Alone. _No other Gryffindors were continuing onto N.E.W.T level that she knew of. Parvati had at O.W.L, but so had her twin, Padma. Which meant that they always sat together. Hermione spent those years alone with a desk to herself. Except from a brief period in fourth-year when she sat with...

"Malfoy?"

"C'mon, sit here," Draco patted the seat next to him. "And when did we go back to surname terms, _Granger?_"

Hermione scanned the room. The class was predominantly Ravenclaws, with two Hufflepuffs – Megan Jones and another girl that Hermione didn't recognise. Blaise Zabini and Theodore Nott were sat in front of Draco, immersed in conversation. There was no-one else to sit with. Hermione sighed as she dropped her bag beside the desk and sat down next to him.

"There we are. It's not like you could sit anywhere else anyway," Draco said, taking his textbook out. Hermione turned her head to look at about half a dozen empty desks surrounding them. "So, why did you call me Malfoy? Thought we were back to friends?"

Hermione looked up at him, unable to escape the pair of grey eyes locked on her. He seemed to have shifted closer, inclining his whole body towards her, turning on his chair slightly.

"We are b-back to friends," Hermione stammered, feeling a little uncomfortable. "I was just a little shocked, that's all."

"What, that I wanted to sit next to you?"

Hermione blushed.

"We've forgiven each other, remember? That's as good as being friends again." Draco stated, moving back and looking at the blackboard, where Professor Vector was writing down complicated expressions. Hermione watched his brow furrow as he copied them down on his parchment. His hair seemed messier than she remembered, no longer neatly brushed back. The cuffs of his jumper were pulled over his hands, but Hermione could still see the signature snake ring on his right hand. The dark grey colour of the snake countered the milky colour of his fingers. Draco pulled his jumper further to cover his hands, apparently noticing that Hermione was staring.

"My hands are cold." he muttered. Hermione's eyes snapped away, she put quill to parchment.

Although they remained mostly silent for the rest of the lesson, Hermione felt comfortable around Draco. Professor Vector would have probably objected to them talking anyway.

"Can I walk with you to lunch?" Draco asked once they had left the classroom, Zabini and Nott seemed to have hurried off without him.

"Yeah, sure." Hermione smiled.

The weak sun shone through the windows as they walked down the quiet halls of the seventh floor. They passed the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy and made a swift turn at the end of the corridor to descend the staircase.

Hermione couldn't help but once again look at Draco's hands. One was positioned close to her own as they walked, as though he was waiting for her to take it. Their knuckles brushed as they waited for the staircases to move, Hermione felt a surge ripple through her arm like electricity. Not like they'd have electricity in Hogwarts anyway. As they neared the doors of the Great Hall, Draco turned to her.

"I was wondering if we could … meet up to do that Arithmancy that Vector set us? Seeing as we're friends and all." he said, glancing over his shoulder at other students in the entrance hall, as if he was checking to see if anyone was watching.

"Okay, how about Saturday?"

"Well, I have Quidditch in the afternoon, but my evening's free."

Draco smiled before saying goodbye. His hand had been resting on her arm as they were speaking, once he let go Hermione felt there was something missing. He stepped through the doors and sat at his house table, Hermione walked over to the Gryffindor table and sat next to Ginny.

"You took your time." Ginny said, passing her a plate.

"Oh, I was in Arithmancy," Hermione replied smoothly. Ginny nodded and they helped themselves to sandwiches and pumpkin juice.

"**Harry! Hey, Harry!"**

Harry, sat opposite, turned around to see Jack Sloper hurrying towards them with a roll of parchment. He took it from the fifth-year and put it inside the pocket of his robes, not opening it until after lunch; when he, Hermione and Ron left for Potions. Hermione peered over his shoulder as he unrolled the parchment.

_Dear Harry,  
I would like to start our private lessons this Saturday.  
Kindly come along to my office at eight p.m. I hope you are enjoying your first day back at school.  
Yours sincerely,  
Albus Dumbledore  
P.S. I enjoy Acid Pops._

"**He enjoys Acid Pops?" said Ron, looking perplexed.**

"It must be the password to get past the gargoyle outside his study," Hermione said in a quiet voice, Harry nodded with agreement.

"**Ha" Snape's not going to be pleased … I won't be able to do his detention!"**

The bell rang for the **afternoon's double Potions and they beat the familiar path down to the dungeon classroom that had, for so long, been Snape's.**

**When they arrived in the corridor they saw that there were only a dozen people progressing to N.E.W.T level. **There were four Ravenclaws stood quietly together, nodding at them as they passed. **Crabbe and Goyle had evidently failed to achieve the required O.W.L grade, but four Slytherins had made it through, including Malfoy. **He looked up at Hermione as she reached the door, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly to form a small smile. He turned back to his friends as Hermione joined Harry, Ron and Ernie Macmillan, the only Hufflepuff.

"Didn't get a chance to speak to any of you in Defence Against the Dark Arts this morning," Ernie said, "**good lesson, I thought, but Shield Charms are old hat, of course, for us old DA lags … **how are you all, Ron – Hermione?"

**Before they could say more than 'fine', the dungeon door opened and Slughorn's belly preceded him out of the door. As they filed into the room, his great walrus moustache curved above his beaming mouth and he greeted Harry and Zabini with particular enthusiasm.**

The dungeon was already filled with vapours and odd smells. They passed large, bubbling cauldrons as they took their seats. **The four Slytherins took a table together, as did the four Ravenclaws. This left Hermione, Ron and Harry to share a table with Ernie. They chose the one nearest a cold-coloured cauldron that was emitting one of the most seductive scents Hermione had ever inhaled: **ginger and orange blossom was one of the tastes that filled her lungs as she breathed slowly and deeply. She looked up at Harry and Ron, who were grinning lazily as they too inhaled the vapours.

"**Now then, now then, now then," said Slughorn, whose massive outline was quivering through the many shimmering vapours. "Scales out, everyone, and potion kits, and don't forget your copies of _Advanced Potion Making..._"**

Hermione reached down to her bag and pulled out her textbook, as did Ernie. Ron and Harry sat there for a moment, before being directed to the store cupboard by Slughorn.

"Help yourselves to ingredients, I think I have some old textbooks back here," he rummaged through another cupboard by his desks and retrieved two very battered-looking copies of _Advanced Potion Making _by Libatius Borage, dropping them on the desk. "**They'll do until you can write to Flourish and Blotts..."**

Slughorn waddled to the front of the room, twelve pairs of eyes following him.

"Now then," he boomed, "**I've prepared a few potions for you to look at, just out of interest, you know. These are the kind of things you ought to be able to make after completing your N.E.W.T.s. You ought to have heard of 'em, even if you haven't made 'em yet. Anyone tell me what this one is?"**

Slughorn pointed to the cauldron nearest the Slytherin table. Draco turned around and sniffed at it. Hermione saw the contents and instantly recognised what was inside; the appearance of boiling water simmering was a key clue.

"It's Veritaserum, sir." Hermione said, her hand shooting up in the air. "A colourless, odourless potion that forces the drinker to tell the truth."

"**Very good, very good!" said Slughorn happily. **Hermione lowered her hand and smiled. Even though it was a regular occurrence, she always felt pleased when she answered a question correctly.  
Slughorn pointed to the cauldron beside the Ravenclaw table. It contained a slow-bubbling, mudlike substance. Harry's arm twitched but Hermione's beat him to the air.

"**It's Polyjuice Potion, sir." she said. **Hermione had not forgotten the time in their second year when she succeeded making the very same potion in the girls' toilets. She had also not forgotten being admitted to the hospital wing when she grew a tail and other very cat-like features.

"**Excellent, excellent! Now, this one here … yes, my dear?" **Slughorn now looked slightly bemused as Hermione's hand punched the air again.

"**It's Amortentia!"**

"**It is indeed. It seems foolish to ask," said Slughorn, **who she noted was looking mightily impressed with her, **"but I assume you know what it does?"**

"**It's the most powerful love potion in the world!"**

"**Quite right! You recognised it, I suppose, by its distinctive mother-of-pearl sheen?"**

"Yes, also the characteristic spirals of steam," Hermione replied enthusiastically, "And it's supposed to smell differently to each of us, according to what we're attracted to. I can smell cedar wood and freshly mown grass and new parchment and -"

**But she turned slightly pink and did not complete the sentence. **Harry and Ron were sat back with dazed looks on their faces while Draco was sat up straight, a smirk spread across his lips. She turned even more red when he caught her eye.

"**May I ask you name, my dear?" said Slughorn, ignoring Hermione's embarrassment.**

"**Hermione Granger, sir."**

"**Granger? Granger? Can you possibly be related to Hector Dagworth-Granger, who founded the Most Extraordinary Society of Potioneers?"**

"I don't think so, sir. I'm a Muggle-born, you see."

Slughorn beamed and turned to Harry.

"'_One of my best friends is Muggle-born and she's the best in our year!' _I'm assuming that Miss Granger is the very friend of whom you spoke of, Harry?"

"Yes, sir." he replied.

"**Well, well, take twenty well-earned points to Gryffindor, Miss Granger," said Slughorn genially.**

Hermione beamed radiantly and turned back to Harry and whispered, "Did you really tell him I'm the best in the year? Oh, Harry!"

She hugged him and they looked back to their professor.

"Amortentia doesn't actually create _love, _obviously. That would be impossible to manufacture or imitate. No, this," Slughorn took a ladle and dipped it into the cauldron, "will simply cause a most dangerous and powerful infatuation. Probably the most dangerous potion in the room. We must not underestimate the power of obsessive love ... and now, it is time to start work!"

"Sir?" Hermione heard Draco's voice and looked over her shoulder at him. "You haven't told us about this one."

Draco was pointing to a small black cauldron on the professor's desk. The potion was splashing about merrily; **it was the colour of molten gold, and large drops were leaping like goldfish above the surface, though not a particle had spilled.**

"Oho, yes. **That. Well, **_**that **_**one, ladies and gentlemen, is a most curious little potion called Felix Felicis. I take it," he turned, smiling, to look at Hermione, so had just let out and audible gasp, "that you know what Felix Felicis does, Miss Granger?"**

"**It's liquid luck," she replied excitedly. "It makes you lucky!"**

"Correct, take another ten points to Gryffindor. Funny little potion, Felix Felicis. Desperately tricky to make, and disastrous to get wrong. However, if brewed correctly, as this has been, you will find that all of your endeavours tend to succeed … at least until its effects wear off. And whoever produces the best attempt at the Draught of Living Death shall receive a small bottle of the stuff. Enough for twelve hours of luck."

There was a scraping of chairs as the class got up to begin. Hermione hurried over to the store cupboard to find a knife and opened the door.

"Looks like somebody is wearing their smarty pants today." Draco smirked from behind her. She continued searching through the shelves of ingredients and equipment.

"Excuse me, Draco, but I always wear my smarty pants."

"Really? You'll have to show me sometime."

She slapped his arm and returned to her desk after finding what she was looking for. She couldn't help but grin from ear to ear. Harry was bent over closely to his textbook, absorbed in the instructions. Hermione began preparing her potion, becoming frustrated as she progressed.

"**Can I borrow your silver knife?" **She heard Harry whisper urgently.

**She nodded impatiently, not taking her eyes off her cauldron, which was deep purple. According to the book, it was ought to be a light shade of lilac by now. **She pushed up her sleeves and brushed her hair urgently back out of her face, squinting at the text.

As time went on Hermione's hair became bushier and bushier from the fumes that her cauldron emitted. The potion was still resolutely purple. She could hear Ron cursing under his breath as he attempted to cut his Sopophorous Bean. Harry was chanting something under his breath.

"**How are you doing that?" **

"**Add a clockwise stir -"**

"**No, no, the book says counter-clockwise!" she snapped.**

**Harry just shrugged and continued what he was doing. **Red-faced, Hermione once again studied at her text book.

"**And time's … up!" called Slughorn. "Stop stirring, please!"**

**Slughorn moved slowly between the tables, peering into cauldrons. He made no comment, but occasionally gave the potions a stir, or a sniff. At last he reached the table where Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ernie were sitting. He smiled ruefully at the tarlike substance in Ron's cauldron. He passed over Ernie's navy concoction. Hermione's potion he gave an approving nod. Then he saw Harry's, and a look of incredulous delight spread over his face.**

"The clear winner!" he cried to the dungeon.

/\

"He didn't even follow the instructions properly!"

"Special treatment from Slughorn, Hermione. That's what it was."

"He crushed the Sopophorous Bean! Crushed it! He's just so..."

"Is someone jealous that Potter's taken over her as number one student?"

"No!"

"I think you are. Did you give Potter your smarty pants? You know, I'll be quite offended if you have. I thought that _I _would be the one you give your knickers to."

"Shut up, Draco."

/\

**Harry looked at his watch and hurriedly put his copy of _Advanced Potion Making _back into his bag.**

"**It's five to eight, I'd better go, I'll be late for Dumbledore."**

"**Ooooh!" gasped Hermione, looking up at once. "Good luck! We'll wait up, we want to hear what he teaches you!"**

"**Hope it goes OK," said Ron, and the pair of them watched Harry leave through the portrait hole.**

Hermione rose to her feet as soon as he disappeared, picking up her cardigan and putting it on.

"Where are you going?" Ron asked her, a quizzical expression on his face.

"Doing my Arithmancy essay." Hermione picked up her bag and walked towards the portrait hole.

"Hermione, the library closes in five minutes. Where are you going?"

"I'm meeting up with a _friend_ to do it, we'll find an empty classroom or something."

She smiled and pushed open the portrait, jumping out into the deserted corridor. The moon shone through the tall arched windows, casting a pale blue light over everything in view. Harry must have been long gone, Hermione noted, as she was alone except from the snoozing portraits hanging from the walls.

They had agreed to meet at the Arithmancy classroom, so Hermione began walking in the direction of the Astronomy Tower: the room was near the foot of the tower's spiral staircase. The only noises she could hear was the sound of her shoes on the stone floor, and the faint whistle of the wind swirling around the castle. She was still surprised that she hadn't bumped into anyone, it wasn't past curfew yet.

At the end of the corridor, Hermione saw a flicker of light. She couldn't make out what it was exactly, she squinted to see. There was a wispy shadow of a silver mist, floating just above the ground and disappearing to the left. Must've been a ghost or something.

She reached the end of the corridor and turned right. She walked for another few minutes until the Arithmancy classroom was in sight. Leaning against the wooden door was Draco, the moon making his hair shine with a silvery lustre. His expression seemed far away and daydream-like as he stared out at the night, but it was replaced with a smile when he saw Hermione.

"Thought you'd never turn up." he said quietly.

"I was waiting for Harry to leave."

"Leave where?" his brow furrowed slightly as he spoke.

"Oh, he was just going to see Dumbledore." Hermione replied simply, smiling.

"Erm, okay."

"So," she said, eyeing the door behind him. "Are we going to go in then?"

"What in here? No, we're going somewhere else." he grinned mischievously, taking her hand.

Hermione was more shocked at the sight of her fingers intertwined with his than the fact that he was pulling her down the corridor at a brisk pace. His hands were warmer than Hermione expected, she had always remembered them being cold to the touch. They were still smooth though, clasped tightly around her own hands but still soft as ever. She looked away from them to see where they were going. He was coaxing her up a dark staircase.

The breeze of cold night air hit her as they reached the top, the wind was still and they could see out across the mountains.

"Draco, the Astronomy Tower is out-of-bounds except for classes!" Hermione hissed.

"Live a little, Hermione. You've broken rules before," Draco told her. "Besides, the tower will be empty until the third-years have a class at midnight, I checked."

"So no-one will catch us?"

"_No-one _will catch us." he smirked.

They took their bags from their shoulders and sat under the cover of an eave, still with a clear view over the tower's ramparts. Draco let go of Hermione's hand and reached for his bag, pulling out two butterbeers.

"I raided the kitchen on the way up here." he smiled, offering her one. She smiled and took a sip from the bottle, setting it beside her on the floor. She pulled **_Numerology and Gramatica_** out of her bag and flipped through the pages, not noticing Draco looking at her.

"Explain the properties of the number '13' and its links within the … what?"

"N-nothing." Draco looked away, taking a swig from his bottle. He sneaked another look at her, but Hermione had caught on.

"What is it?"

"Nothing its just that I," Draco ran his hands through his hair nervously, "I've already finished the essay."

"Then why are we here?" Hermione asked. He raised his eyebrows. "_Oh..."_

"Sorry, Hermione. I was worried that you'd say no if I asked you up here just to hang out."

"I wouldn't say no" she replied in a small voice. Draco smiled broadly, gripping his butterbeer tightly in his hands. Hermione put the book back in her bag and moved closer to him and they both looked out at the stars.

"I was named after a constellation you know," Draco said after a while, pointing up to a cluster of stars to their left. "That one there."

"My name is from _A Winter's Tale._"

"What's that?"

"A play by William Shakespeare."

Draco nodded, still looking up at the sky. They stayed looking up at the stars until the wind began to pick up, sending an icy breeze wrapping around them. Hermione shivered and stood up, picking up her bag.

"Harry will be back soon, you coming?"

"No, I think I'll stay up here a little while longer," Draco replied, standing up and taking her hand. "I'll see you later?"

He pulled her into a tight hug, taking a curl of her hair between two fingers and twisting it absent-mindedly. He held her close to his chest, her head resting in the hollow of his neck.  
Hermione felt safe in Draco's hold. The heat from his body made her forget about the cold night air. She closed her eyes and took a breath. Her lungs were filled with ginger, orange blossom and … cedar wood.

/\

_This was originally a lot longer, but I had to split it in two. So some of the events I promised will not happen until chapter 15 :(  
Not too happy with this ending if I'm honest, but that may be because I know the ending of the next chapter is better :) Super Dramione action next week, for definite! And also a different side to Draco, he can't be happy all the time..._

_Lemon Cheese_

_xxx_


	15. Chapter 15

_I don't really have much to say, thank you for sticking with me this far! Yay for hitting 150 reviews, I love you all! Can't wait for 200 :)  
I mentioned how I split the chapter, this is the second half. It works better here because this is a week later. Hope you enjoy!_

_/\_

Hermione looked down at the small box lying on her bed. She had just retrieved it from the bottom of her trunk and was now debating what to do with it. The pale blue stood out from the deep red of her bedding. How could something so small be so daunting? It couldn't do any harm could it? They were _friends _now, it would be perfectly acceptable, right? But would he get the wrong idea?

She picked the box up and held it in both hands. Just one tiny peek and she would return it to the depths of her trunk. She couldn't wear it, they were _just friends._ Nothing more, nothing less.

The weak morning light from the window hit the pendant as soon as she removed it from the box, reflecting out in different directions. The chain felt like eyelashes against her skin, silver dancing as it ran through her palms and caressed her fingertips. The dark emerald glinted like an eye, encircled in a weave of more silver and what Hermione suspected were diamonds. It seemed such a waste, such a beautiful necklace.

Hermione saw her reflection out of the corner of her eye, staring at herself in a mirror hanging next to her bed. Her hair was long and loose, falling down past her shoulders. No-one would notice, she'd wear a scarf anyway. Just try it on for today, to see how it felt.

She unclasped the fasten and brought it around her neck, cold metal against her warm skin. Nobody would even notice...

/\

"**I dunno why the team's this popular all of a sudden."**

Hermione looked at the crowd of Gryffindors stood in the centre of the pitch. She turned to see Harry's bewildered expression and laughed.

"**Oh, come on, Harry," she said. "It's not _Quidditch _that's popular, it's you! You've never been more interesting and, frankly, you've never been more fanciable."**

Ron gave a strange splutter from behind them, but Hermione didn't notice. She gestured to a group of giggling fourth-years. It seemed as though half of Gryffindor house had turned up to the try-outs. It ranged from **first-years nervously clutching a selection of the dreadful old school brooms, to seventh-years who towered over the rest looking coolly intimidating. The latter included a large, wiry-haired boy who walked over to Harry immediately.**

"**We met on the train, in old Sluggy's compartment," he said confidently, shaking Harry's hand. "Cormac McLaggen, Keeper."**

He looked to Hermione and flashed a grin, unnerving her slightly.

"Erm, Harry?" she stuttered uncomfortably. "I'm going to go and sit in the stands."

She waved to Ron and Ginny before climbing the stairs up to find they were almost deserted: the only other people who were sat there were a group of Gryffindor girls (Hermione noticed Lavender Brown with a compact mirror in her hands, checking her reflection) and Luna Lovegood.

"Me and Ginny are working on an essay together later so I came to watch," she muttered dreamily, looking at Hermione briefly. "The Wrackspurts in the common room were annoying me so I came down here."

Hermione smiled meekly and looked away to the pitch. She fastened her coat, the wind blowing harshly around the stands. She had a Gryffindor scarf tied tightly around her neck, concealing the necklace. She didn't want anyone to see it, but she felt better with it on.

Harry left the Keeper try-outs until last. **None of the first five applicants saved more than two goals apiece. **Cormac McLaggen flew up and saved his first four penalties, Hermione sighed. Even though he was far away, she could see the sad look on Ron's face. McLaggen flew up for his last shot, Ginny took the quaffle in her hands.

"_Confundo!_" Hermione hissed, her wand flicking towards the keeper. He shot off in the opposite direction, a chorus of laughs erupting from other students on the pitch.

"Did you say something?" Luna asked, looking rather puzzled.

"No," Hermione replied hastily, getting up from her seat as Ron mounted his broom. She looked back at Luna, "I'm, gonna go. I've got work to do."

Luna smiled and nodded, lifting one hand delicately and waving.

"Good luck, Ron!" cried a voice from behind her. She turned to see Lavender on the edge of her seat, looking eagerly at Ron. Hermione shook her head and left for the castle.

She reached the foot of the main staircase in the Entrance Hall when she heard someone call her name.

"Miss Granger!"

She turned to see Professor Slughorn waddling towards her. She put on a smile as he reached her.

"Just the person I was looking for!" he chortled, wiping his brow with a handkerchief. **"I was hoping to catch you before dinner! What do you say to a spot of supper tonight in my rooms instead? We're having a little party, just a few rising stars. I've got McLaggen coming –** spoke to him this morning – **and Zabini, the charming Melinda Bobbin – I don't know whether you know her? Her family owns a large chain of apothecaries. **And Mr Potter of course, you don't know where he is by any chance?"

"Erm, he's just holding Quidditch try-outs at the moment, but he's nearly finished I think." she replied.

"Oh, lovely, I'll pop down to the pitch now then," he beamed, waddling off to the front doors. "I shall see you tonight then!"

Hermione nodded and turned back to the stairs, only to be greeted by someone else.

"I see Slughorn has roped you into tonight too."

"Zabini?" Hermione looked questioningly at him, they had never spoken alone before.

"I prefer Blaise, actually," he said smoothly, his hands deep in his pockets. "I was wondering whether you've seen Draco recently, I can't find him anywhere."

Hermione shook her head. "No, I've barely spoken to him all week, not even in lessons."

Blaise frowned and stood thinking for a while. He gave up and shook his head, saying goodbye and striding towards the dungeons.

"I'll see you tonight."

**Hermione then spotted Cormac McLaggen entering the Great Hall. It took him two attempts to get through the doors; he ricocheted off the frame on the first attempt. **Hermione heard Ron guffaw gloatingly as he, Harry and Ginny entered the Hall. The two Weasleys followed McLaggen straight into the hall, but Harry caught Hermione's hand and held her back.

"**What?" said Hermione defensively.**

"**If you ask me," said Harry quietly, "McLaggen looks like he _was _Confunded. And he was flying right in front of where you were sitting."**

**Hermione blushed.**

"**Oh all right then, I did it," she whispered. **"But it was all for Ron, right? Apparently he'd said some horrible things about him and Ginny too."

She wasn't usually one to speculate, but she didn't approve of Cormac. Harry looked thoughtful before sighing and smiling.

"I suppose you're true. He has a nasty tempter too, you should have seen him when he didn't get in," he said. **"But wasn't that dishonest, Hermione? I mean you're a prefect, aren't you? **Spending too much time with Malfoy, I think."

"**Oh, be quiet, **I've barely seen him all week, let alone spent time with him,"** she snapped, as he smirked.**

"So, Slughorn came and found me and Ginny after practice," Harry ran his hands through his hair, still smirking. "Another little party tonight?"

"Yeah, excellent guest list too." Hermione laughed.

"Hey, at least I don't have to go to my detention with Snape!"

/\

"Harry?" A girl pushed through a crowd of Gryffindors in the common room. Hermione recognised her as Demelza Robins, one of the new chasers that Harry had appointed. "I've got a message for you."

"**From Professor Slughorn?" asked Harry, sitting up hopefully. **He, Ginny and Hermione had spent the rest of the afternoon with fingers crossed that the supper would be cancelled.

"**No … from Professor Snape," said Demelza. "He says you're to come to his office at half past eight tonight to do your detention – er – no matter how many party invitations you've received."**

"Oh no, Harry!" Hermione whined, tugging on his arm. "Don't leave us with McLaggen!"

Ginny nodded and Harry put his head in his hands.

"Believe me, I'd rather be at that dinner."

"Potter! Granger! Weasley!" McLaggen pushed rudely past Demelza, a smug look on his face as usual. "We've got to leave now or we'll be late."

Hermione rose to her feet slowly and said goodbye to Harry and Demelza, she and Ginny followed Cormac out of the portrait hole. She made sure that her necklace was safely tucked down the collar of her deep purple tea-dress. McLaggen walked a little ahead of them, almost strutting down the corridor as they made the long journey down to the dungeons.

"Hope this is over and done with quickly," Ginny whispered, "The company isn't exactly riveting is it?"

"That's what I said!" Hermione laughed. Cormac turned around with a confused look on his face.

"Nearly there, ladies."

Everyone else was already there when they arrived, standing around the table holding drinks. Blaise was looking silently out of the window, Melinda Bobbins talking to Slughorn; and twin girls from Slytherin of whom Hermione did not recognise, were talking quietly to each other by the fire.

"Ah, you're finally here!" Slughorn beamed. "We shall sit down now, yes?"

Hermione took seats next to each other at the round table hesitantly. Blaise sat down on Ginny's other side quietly. Cormac stepped forward to sit next to Hermione, but Melinda promptly dropped down into the seat before him. Hermione smiled, ignoring the slight look of disappointment on McLaggen's face.

"Pleased to meet you," Melinda smiled, her dark blue eyes twinkling as she spoke. She had raven hair pulled back into a loose bun out of her delicate features, her appearance the epitome of a beautiful Ravenclaw. "I'm in Ginny's year, in most of her classes, aren't I?"

"Huh? Oh yeah." Ginny smiled at Hermione and Melinda after turning her head away from Blaise. Hermione smirked.

The time seemed to move quickly, even with Slughorn talking for most of it. Cormac kept attempting to join in Hermione, Ginny and Melinda's conversations, but with no avail. Once they finished, they all stood up, and Hermione found herself looking at Slughorn's shelf of photographs. After a short time, Blaise joined her.

"Did you find Draco then?" she asked.

"No, he wasn't anywhere I looked. I _even_ tried the library." he smirked.

"He's been quite elusive all week, I've barely seen him."

"Yes, you said earlier."

"I mean, he didn't even turn up for half of his classes on Friday. I was alone in Arithmancy."

"I noticed."

The twins appeared next to them, making Hermione jump. "Flora, Hestia." Blaise acknowledged the two Slytherin girls, receiving nods in return.

"I'm going to go and talk to Ginny," Hermione muttered, excusing herself.

Ginny with Melinda, both pretending to be interested in Slughorn and McLaggen's conversation. They both smiled as Hermione joined them, eyeing the clock on the wall. It was almost half past ten.

"My my, look at the time!" Slughorn noticed a few minutes later. "You'd better get back to your dormitories."

Melinda walked with the Gryffindors as they made their way up to the seventh floor. They talked about empty things, Hermione lost interest and began staring out at the stars shining incandescently against the backdrop of the night sky. She looked back ahead at the corridor, vaguely listening to Ginny talk about Dean Thomas. But then she saw a light. A strange familiar light that she'd seen a week previously. The silvery smoke darted across the air as it swirled near a window.

In a sudden burst of impulse, Hermione ran ahead after the mist.

"'Mione, where are you going?" Ginny called after her, but she didn't look back or reply.

The silvery mist travelled down the corridor, past her Arithmancy classroom, past the Astronomy Tower. It then suddenly halted for a moment, floating just at Hermione's eye line. It began to form a more solid shape, joined by another cloud of silvery mist that had just appeared from around the corner. The two joined together, sinking to the floor and forming … an otter.

It was a Patronus.

She stared at it for a few moments, the otter stared back. An otter? But an otter was _her_ Patronus.

The otter skipped away, disappearing away from sight. Hermione ran after it. She then saw who had cast it.

There sat on the floor was Draco. He was leaning back against the Barnabas the Barney tapestry, entrance to the Room of Requirement. His wand was in his hands, flicking aimlessly as he watched the otter prance around him. His eyes looked tired and his shirt was untucked, tie strewn on the floor. The otter faded and he raised his wand, face screwed up with concentration.

"Expecto Patronum!"

The silvery mist reappeared, becoming the otter again within a few moments.

"What was your memory?"

Draco's head snapped around to look at Hermione stepping out of the shadows. She could see a stain of pink across his marble-like cheeks as he stood up, embarrassed.

"Erm, just a few different things." he mumbled, looking at the floor.

"Where have you been all week, Draco? Blaise has been looking for you all day, and you weren't in Arithmancy on Friday," Hermione asked, looking at his bowed head.

"I've er, been busy."

The atmosphere suddenly became very tense. Hermione decided to change the subject.

"So an otter then, huh?"

"Yeah, I have no idea why. I thought it would be something more majestic, like an eagle or a snake or something." he looked up, attempting a smile.

"I know someone else who's Patronus is an otter."

"Who?"

She looked him right in the eye, her brow rose a little. Draco understood.

"Well, erm..."

Hermione stepped closer to him, into the light of the moon. Her necklace moved as she did, slipping from its hiding place.

"What's that?"

"What's what?" she asked, confused.

"Something silver just glinted. Wait," he said, reaching forwards to her neck. The shock of his cold fingers against her skin make her jump. He pulled at the chain, bringing the necklace into view. He looked at the stone on the end, his eyes widening. "Hermione..."

His eyes met hers, an intense look locking upon her. His other hand snaked round her waist, pulling their bodies together. He let go of the pendant and cupped her face, closing the distance and bringing their lips together.

Hermione was shocked at first, the rough kiss taking her by surprise. They fell back against the wall, Draco's hands in her hair. His breath tingled in her mouth, his lips soft as the kiss became more tentative. She brought her hands up to his chest, beginning to slowly push him away.

Her eyelids fluttered open just as his did, a triumphant smile etched on his face.

/\

_Yay! Hope I wrote this right, have been a bit unsure about it._

_I just couldn't keep them apart any longer_

_Really really hope you liked!_

_Lemon Cheese_

_xxx_


	16. Chapter 16

_Argh! So very sorry guys, been a long while since I updated! Lots of horrible work to do, and I also came up with a new Dramione story so got distracted by that. THEN, to make matters worse, my laptop broke. All fixed now so should be okay.  
But the next few months aren't looking good for me – AS exams in late May/early June so chapters will be a bit irregular until then.  
Hope you'll forgive me? _

_/\_

"Erm, so..." Hermione stuttered, smiling nervously at Draco as he grinned back at her.

"Yeah?" he smirked.

"So what happens now?" she asked. Draco looked smug before leaning forward and kissing her again. She could feel his smile against her lips. She pushed him away slowly. "No, Draco, I mean what happens around people? Do we ...?"

"No we don't tell people," he interjected, suddenly becoming serious. "It's safer that way. With my father in prison and our friends and ..."

He fell silent for a moment, stepping back and letting her go. He stood pensively for a moment, one hand held up to his head.

"And?" Hermione watched him look at her, then the tapestry to her right and finally out of the window to her left.

"Doesn't matter." he said, picking his tie up off the floor.

Usually Hermione would question such actions, but one glance at her watch distracted her.

"Draco, it's really late. Ginny will wonder where I've got to, I kind of just ran off."

"Yeah, Blaise will … well I'm sure he's not bothered where I am, but I should go as well."

Hermione nodded, Draco stepped closer and wrapped his arms tightly around her. She was anticipating another kiss, but she didn't mind the hug.

They broke apart and went their separate ways, both looking back briefly before they turned the corner. Hermione collapsed against the wall after she was sure he was gone, thoughts racing through her mind. _Well this complicates things. _It took a few moments for Hermione to calm down, she composed herself and hurried back to Gryffindor Tower.

"What happened to you?"

A worried Ginny greeted her as she stepped through the portrait hole, a worried Harry stood behind her. Hermione shook her head and set off towards the girls' dormitories, but was stopped when Harry grabbed her arm.

"Hermione?"

"Mhmm?" Hermione whirled around absently.

"Where have you been?" Harry asked slowly, his green eyes emitting a certain look of concern that Hermione had seen countless times before. "Ginny said you just ran off without a word, it's not safe, you..."

"Harry, this is Hogwarts, the safest place we can be." Hermione replied, in a manner that was a little more icy than she had intended. She sighed and patted his arm, smiling. "I just thought I saw something, that's all. But I didn't, no need to send out a search party."

Harry returned her smile, quietly hugging her and reluctantly leaving for bed. There was now only two of them in the common room, and Ginny still didn't look convinced.

"Gin?" Hermione asked cautiously, studying her best friend's face. Ginny sat down on a tattered sofa and motioned for Hermione to join her. Ginny was a smart girl, Hermione wondered whether she'd worked it all out already.

"Why doesn't he notice me, Hermione?" Ginny mumbled. Hermione let out a sigh of relief before she replied.

"Who?"

"Harry of course!"

"He does," Hermione began, "You've been friends for years, he notices..."

"Oh, Hermione, don't be so slow! As _more _than a friend." Ginny said frustratedly, scrunching up her face.

"Wait, but you're going out with Dean?" Hermione was confused.

"Only to make him jealous, jeez Hermione, I told you this earlier!"

"Oh, I was, erm, distracted," Hermione muttered.

"You seem distracted a lot lately, anything up?" Ginny asked.

"Apart from the usual You-Know-Who business, not really." Hermione lied.

Ginny got up and walked to the bottom of the staircase, turning around as she reached it.

"I don't blame you for running off like that," she said, "McLaggen is pretty unbearable."

/\

"Did Weaselette say anything?"

"Not really, neither did Harry."

"Potter was there?"

"Yeah, he'd just got back from his detention with Snape."

Draco laughed smugly as he returned a book to the shelves. Hermione hit him with the one she was holding. He yelped loudly.

"Shh!" Hermione hissed.

"Don't hit me then!"

"Be nice then."

"I can't, I'm a Slytherin."

Hermione smiled as she shook her head, shelving the book and turning to leave the library. She heard a cough.

He turned to see him stood, leaning against a shelf, eyebrows raised. She sighed. After a quick glance around to make sure nobody else was around, Draco took her hand and reeled her in, kissing her sweetly.

"Really have to go now," Hermione mumbled against his lips.

She attempted for the second time to leave; this time she was successful. As she neared the door, she saw a familiar face.

Harry looked up and smiled sheepishly, one hand in his hair and the other clutching his potions textbook.

"You still haven't got a new one?"

"I don't need to," Harry replied, "this one's fine."

"Harry, you know I don't approve of that book."

Hermione looked at the book's battered cover, it was almost impossible to read _Advanced Potion Making _written in gold lettering on the spine.

"I'll see you at lunch?" Harry asked innocently. Hermione nodded and said goodbye.

She watched him walk off into the labyrinth of shelves, but he turned left and disappeared very abruptly. Hermione squinted to see which row he'd walked down. It was the one where she had just been standing with Draco.

/\

**Halfway through October came their first trip of the term to Hogsmeade. Hermione wondered whether these trips would still be allowed, given the increasingly tight security measures around the school, but was pleased to know that they were going ahead; it was always good to get out of the castle grounds for a few hours.**

Life just seemed that little bit more complicated since she and Draco had reconciled. Every spare moment she had was spent finding ways to meet up – although she noted on how busy he seemed. He was turning up in class again, but each time looking more and more tired. Even her attempts to comfort him in Arithmancy were wasted, he just quietly listened to Professor Vector and made notes.

The only time he seemed happy was their regular meetings on each Sunday evening, sitting together at the blustery heights of the Astronomy Tower.

Hopefully a Hogsmeade trip would be good for him, they could get a drink or look around the shops. Hermione smiled to herself at this thought, it seemed like a good idea to her.

She pulled on a pale blue hand-knitted sweater, the very same Mrs Weasley had knitted for her a few Christmases ago. It was only 8 o'clock, so she concluded to go straight to breakfast and wait for Harry and Ron there.

The Great Hall was pretty quiet when she arrived, most students choosing to make the most of a Saturday morning. The only other Gryffindor in her year already sat down was Lavender Brown. Hermione took a seat opposite her.

"Morning, Hermione." Lavender said, taking a sip from her pumpkin juice. Hermione smiled weakly and managed to reply in a croaky voice. Lavender wasn't exactly perfect company; six years of sharing a room had told Hermione that. She quietly poured herself some juice and picked up two slices of toast before looking around the room to see who else was awake.  
More Gryffindors, a few second year Hufflepuffs and group of Ravenclaw boys piling their plates up high. There was only one person sat at the Slytherin table, pushing his pale hair back with one hand as he studied the _Daily Prophet _anxiously. Hermione resisted the urge to go and talk to him. Even with such an empty room, a serial gossip like Lavender would surely brew up rumours.

Draco folded up his paper and looked up, his eyes meeting with Hermione's. She smiled, receiving a flicker of one in return. He drained his goblet and stood up, taking his newspaper with him.

"What are you smiling at?"

"Oh, nothing," Hermione replied hastily, oblivious that her expression had not changed. Lavender shrugged and sprinkled sugar on her porridge. It was at this moment that Ron and Harry entered the room with Ginny, animated with conversation.

"**... and then there was another flash of light and I landed on the bed again!" grinned Ron, sitting next to Hermione and helping himself to sausages. **Lavender giggled as Ron did so, provoking strange expressions from Hermione and Harry. Parvati had also arrived, so Lavender moved away down the bench to sit with her. Ginny seemed to have disappeared, but after a quick scan of the table Hermione found her to be sitting with Dean.

Ron insisted on reiterating the story again for Hermione's sake. Harry seemed to have found a spell whereupon the victim became suspended in mid-air.

She did not crack a smile during this anecdote, her face turning to a wintry expression of disapproval upon Harry.

"**Was this spell, by any chance, another one from that potions book of yours?" she asked.**

**Harry frowned at her.**

"**Always jump to the worst conclusion, don't you?"**

"**Was it?"**

"**Well … yeah, but so what?"**

"**So you just decided to try out an unknown, handwritten incantation and see what would happen?"**

"**Why does it matter if it's handwritten?" said Harry, preferring not to answer the rest of the question.**

"**Because it's probably not Ministry of Magic-approved," said Hermione. "And also," she added, as Harry and Ron rolled their eyes, "because I'm starting to think this Prince character is a bit dodgy."**

At this moment the breakfast owls arrived, dropping parcels in front of Harry and Ron's places.

"Must be our new Potion's text books?" Ron said through a mouthful of food.

Hermione watched as Harry opened his, revealing **a new copy of **_**Advanced Potion Making, **_**fresh from Flourish and Blotts.**

"**Oh good," said Hermione, delighted. "Now you can give that graffitied copy back."**

"**Are you mad?" said Harry. "I'm keeping it! Look, I've thought it out -"**

**He pulled out the old copy from his bag and tapped the cover with his wand, muttering, "_Diffindo!" _The cover fell off. He did the same thing with the brand new book (Hermione looked scandalised). He then swapped the covers, tapping each and said, "_Reparo!"_**

"Harry, it's very irresponsible to start performing spells when you don't even know what they're for," Hermione said in a quiet voice, "I don't think this 'Prince' sounds like a good person."

"Look, Hermione," Harry replied. "if he'd been a budding Death Easter or something, he wouldn't have been boasting about being 'Half-Blood', would he?"

"**The Death Eaters can't all be pure-blood, there aren't enough pure-bloods left," said Hermione stubbornly. "I expect most of them are half-bloods pretending to be pure. It's Muggle-borns they hate, they'd be quite happy to let you and Ron join up."**

"**There's no way they'd let me be a Death Eater!" said Ron indignantly, a bit of sausage flying off the fork he was now brandishing at Hermione and hitting Ernie Macmillan on the head. "My whole family are blood traitors! That's as bad as Muggle-borns to Death Eaters! **You'd more likely be accepted than me, Hermione."

Hermione wasn't sure what to make of the last comment, a wave of paranoia spread through her body. Was he insinuating about Draco?

"**And they'd love to have me," said Harry sarcastically. "We'd be best pals if they didn't keep trying to do me in."**

**This made Ron laugh, even Hermione gave a grudging smile, and a distraction arrived in the shape of Ginny.**

She handed Harry a familiar role of parchment, unrolling to reveal familiar slanted writing. Dumbledore.

"Monday evening," Harry muttered, pocketing the letter. "Hey Ginny, do you want to join us in Hogsmeade?"

Hermione watched Ginny blush a little and play with her hands; Harry looking up at her with a smile on his face. The answer was pretty simple, Harry was handing what Ginny wanted to her on a plate. Ginny shook her head.

"I'm sorry but I'm going with Dean – might see you there?" she said hopefully. Harry nodded.

Hermione sighed as they left the Great Hall. Nothing would please her more than to see two of her best friends together and happy. Apart from spending time with Draco, that is.

**Filch was standing at the oak front doors as usual, checking off the names of people who had permission to go into Hogsmeade. The process took even longer than normal as Filch was triple-checking people with his Secrecy Sensor.**  
Hermione scanned the crowd of students, hoping for another glimpse of Draco. He'd be stood with Blaise and Theo for sure, sniggering together at the younger years and attempting to frighten the little Hufflepuffs. That's where he'd be.  
Her eyes looked over the sea of heads, stopping when she saw Theodore Nott whispering in Daphne Greengrass' ear. Blaise was stood nearby, staring intensely over at Dean and Ginny. But no Draco. All of the sixth-year Slytherins were there, but no Draco.

"**What does it matter if we're smuggling Dark stuff OUT?" demanded Ron, eyeing the long thin Secrecy Sensor with apprehension. "Surely you ought to be checking what we bring back IN?"**

**His cheek earned him a few extra jabs with the Sensor, and he was still wincing when they stepped out into the wind and sleet.**

**The walk to Hogsmeade was not enjoyable. **Hermione wrapped her scarf tightly over her lower face and buttoned her coat up as far as it would go. But her body still felt cold. She could feel a strange warmth on her chest where her emerald necklace was inexplicably hot against her cold skin. Her nose and cheeks felt raw and numb as the cold air whipped around her. **The road to the village was full of students bent double against the bitter wind. More than once Hermione wondered whether she might not have had a better time in the warm common room. **Draco had the right idea staying inside. They could have sat together in the library without the prying eyes of their friends.

When they reached Hogsmeade Harry, Ron and Hermione were greeted with the bleak sight of Zonko's Joke Shop boarded up, paint peeling from the sign. They visited Honeydukes first, toffee-scented air and warmth enveloping them as they stepped inside. Unfortunately this is where they bumped into Slughorn, adamant that she and Harry join him for another Slug Club dinner. Harry churned out excuses about Dumbledore, homework and Quidditch while Hermione giggled quietly. But inside she wished that she had such excuses.

"Three Broomsticks?" Harry asked one they had left the shop. The wind seemed to be blowing them in that direction anyway.

Other people seemed to have the right idea as well, the pub was bustling. Luckily they managed to find a table in the corner.

"I'm just going to the loo," Hermione said, pulling off her coat and scarf and wading through the crowds to the back of the pub, where the bathrooms were. She looked in the mirror over the sink and attempted to tame her hair, the harsh October wind had made it more of a mess than usual. Managing to clip it back a little, she left to rejoin Harry and Ron. Nearing the end of the empty corridor where the toilets and back rooms were, Hermione bumped into someone.

"Oh, sorry, wasn't looking where I was going. I..." she looked up to see a haggard face look back at her. "Draco?"

"Oh, erm, hi."

Hermione frowned. How on Earth did he get to Hogsmeade? She was sure she hadn't seen him when they were leaving. He could've been somewhere else she supposed. But she knew that wouldn't be how he got there. She thought back to third-year, when Harry used the One-Eyed Witch passageway to get to the village. But why would he be using a secret passageway?

Draco stood watching her as she thought out this, looking uneasy. Hermione pushed the thoughts out of her mind and leant in for a hug.

"We haven't spoken in ages," she said, "I know it's a secret, but ..."

"Hermione," Draco said in a quiet whisper, "It's better this way."

Hermione felt him inhale deeply as he held her tighter, running his fingers through her hair. She smiled as they broke apart, she walked out into the main pub as he pushed open the door of the gents' room.

"You took you're time," Harry said, pushing a butterbeer into Hermione's hands as she sat down. "I had to stop Ron from taking your drink."

"**Ron, what are you staring at?" **Hermione asked, looking as he peered to somewhere over her shoulder.

"**Nothing," said Ron, hastily looking away from the bar, but Hermione knew he was trying to catch the eye of the curvy attractive barmaid, Madam Rosmerta, for whom he had long nursed a soft spot.**

"**I expect 'nothing' is in the back getting more Firewhiskey," said Hermione waspishly. **"I just bumped into Malfoy on the way back; he's been very quiet lately.

"No confidence since _daddy _was sent to prison," Ron chortled. Hermione subconsciously gave him an icy look. Harry drummed his fingers on the table, looking over at something behind the bar.

**The moment Hermione drained the last drops in her bottle he said, "Shall we call it a day and go back to school then?"**

**The other two nodded; it had not been a fun trip and the weather was getting worse the longer they stayed. **Hermione was disappointed that Ginny hadn't met up with them. She was probably cosily closeted in Madam Puddifoot's teashop with Dean, thinking about Harry. Hermione bowed her head against the swirling sleet and trudged along the path. Many students had already left and were probably cosily back in their common rooms. The three of them were the only ones on the path, except for two figures ahead of them.

**It was a little while before Hermione became aware that the voices of Katie Bell and her friend, which were being carried back to her in the wind, had become shriller and louder. Hermione squinted at their two indistinct figures. The two girls were having an argument about something Katie was holding in her hand.**

"**It's nothing to do with you, Leanne!" Hermione heard Katie say.**

**They rounded a corner in the lane, sleet coming thick and fast. **Hermione looked up into the wind to see Leanne try to grab hold of the package Katie was holding; Katie tugged it back and the package fell to the ground.

/\

_Oh, cliffhanger ;) well not really, if you've read the book, you know what happens._

_Sorry again for the delay_

_Lemon Cheese  
xxx_


	17. Chapter 17

_Sorry to stop abruptly, but I just needed to get a chapter out. You've been quiet my dears, punishment for not updating in so long?  
**Right, **something's gone weird with the asterisks, so all my previous chapters look weird :/_

/\

**Katie rose into the air, her arms outstretched as though she were about to fly. Yet there was something wrong, something eerie … her hair was whipped around her face by the fierce wind, but her eyes were closed and her face was quite empty of expression. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Leanne had all halted in their tracks, watching.**

Hermione gripped onto Ron and Harry's arms, unable to breathe. She stared at the haunting figure of Katie above them.

**Then, six feet above the ground, Katie let out a terrible scream. Her eyes flew open but whatever she could see, or whatever she was feeling, was clearly causing her terrible anguish. She screamed and screamed; Leanne started to scream too, and seized Katie's ankles, trying to tug her back to the ground. Harry, Ron and Hermione rushed forwards to help, but even as they grabbed Katie's legs and she fell on top of them; Harry and Ron managed to catch her but she was writhing so much they could hardly hold her. Instead they lowered her to the ground where she thrashed and screamed, apparently unable to recognise them.**

Hermione stepped away from her, her hands clenched tightly into fists. She began hyperventilating as she looked at Katie's rag-doll body on the ground.

"Stay here! I'm going for help!" Harry shouted, running away down the path. Leanne began sobbing, falling back against the stone wall behind her. Hermione went over and put an arm round her shoulders, lifting her shaking body up.

"**It's Leanne, isn't it?"**

"**Did it just happen all of a sudden, or -?"**

"**It was when that package tore," sobbed Leanne, pointing at the now sodden brown-paper package on the ground, which had split open to reveal a greenish glitter. **Ron bent down, his hand outstretched, but Hermione shouted before he got any closer.

"_Don't touch it!"_

They stood in the howling wind until Harry returned, Hagrid hurrying behind him.

Harry crouched down next to the package and looked at the ornate opal necklace that was visible, poking out of the brown paper.

"**I've seen that before," said Harry, staring at the thing. "It was on display in Borgin and Burke's ages ago. The label said it was cursed. Katie must have touched it."**

Hermione looked to Leanne, who was still shaking.

"How did Katie get hold of it?"

"That's why we were arguing," Leanne stuttered, still clinging onto Hermione, "She came back from the bathroom in the Three Broomsticks with it, saying that she had to deliver it to someone at Hogwarts. **She looked all funny when she said it … oh no, oh no, I bet she'd been Imperiused, and I didn't realise!"**

**Leanne shook with renewed sobs. Hermione patted her shoulder gently.**

"**She didn't say who'd given it to her, Leanne?"**

Hermione thought back to earlier that afternoon. The package wasn't in the bathroom when she used it. Someone must've put it there after then. Or given it to Katie as she was leaving. But Katie and Leanne had come into the Three Broomsticks after they had, and left before.

The only people Hermione had seen entering or leaving behind the bar were Madam Rosmerta and … Draco. But it wasn't Draco, it couldn't be. Someone else must've done it and Hermione hadn't noticed.

"She wouldn't tell me … I told her she was being stupid … she wouldn't listen and … I tried to grab it from her and -" **Leanne let out a wail of dispair.**

"**We'd better get up to school," said Hermione, her arm still around Leanne, "We'll be able to find out how she is. Come on ..."**

Hagrid lifted Katie's body up in his arms and began walking towards the boar-topped gates. Hermione followed, supporting Leanne. Harry and Ron discussed on how to get the necklace back to school, before concluding that levitation was the best option.

/\

Hermione was stood outside of Professor McGonagall's office with Harry and Ron. Leanne was inside talking to her. Hagrid had taken Katie up to the Hospital Wing but they hadn't heard anything yet. Ron was staring out of the window. Harry was leaning against the wall, deep in thought.

"Harry," Hermione whispered, quietly enough so that Ron did not hear. Harry looked up at her. "Harry, I think Malfoy did it."

Harry looked mildly shocked, staring wide-eyed at her.

"No, surely ..."

"Harry, it makes sense. He was going to the bathrooms as I was leaving. It matches up!"

"Yeah, but Filch would've picked up something like a cursed necklace with his Secrecy Sensor when we were leaving."

"Harry!" Hermione whispered frantically, more thoughts entering her mind. "He wasn't in the Entrance Hall when we were leaving! He must've used a secret passageway to get to Hogsmeade or something. Like the one to Honeydukes!"

"How would he know about that passageway? Only we know about it, don't we?"

"Harry, it was Draco. It was Draco!"

Hermione couldn't quite believe what she was saying. It frightened her that she jumped to this conclusion so quickly, placing the blame on someone she trusted. Was this all a good idea? She felt terrible for keeping these things from her friends, guilt eating up her insides. She needed to think things over. Jumping to conclusions wasn't usually accurate.

"Wait, I'm not..." Hermione began, looking up at Harry.

"Sorry Hermione," Harry interrupted, picking up his bag and moving away. "I've … I've got to go."

He began dashing off down the corridor, almost running round the corner. Ron looked away from the window and to Hermione.

"Where'd he go?"

"I have no idea," Hermione sighed, beginning to pace outside the office door.

"He's probably gone to see if Ginny's got back yet," Ron muttered. "I don't know why he's anxious to talk to her all the time, like he wants to protect her from Dean or something."

Hermione smiled, if only Ginny could hear this. And she thought Harry didn't care for her in that way!

"He doesn't need to protect her, Ginny's fine."

"She does need protecting," Ron said smugly, folding his arms across his chest. "But by me, not Harry. I need to keep older boys away from her. They only want one thing."

"Well if all older boys are like you, then the one thing they'd want is food." Hermione smirked.

"Hey!"

"Shh, Ronald, we're in a serious situation here!"

Hermione resumed pacing outside McGonagall's door, until it opened some time later. Leanne left first, still sniffing as she wiped her eyes with her sleeve. Professor McGonagall had a stern look on her face as she spoke.

"Mr Weasley, please could you go up to the Hospital Wing and find out how Miss Bell is doing," she instructed. "Miss Granger? I'd like you to escort Leanne back to her house."

McGonagall scanned the corridor, before her eyes snapped to Hermione.

"Where is Mr Potter?"

Ron shrugged.

"I don't know, Professor, he just left."

The professor looked thoughtful, before sighing and moving back toward her door.

"You two didn't see anything else today, did you? Nothing suspicious whilst you were in the Three Broomsticks?"

Her eyes seemed to stare deeply into Hermione's, like she was attempting to read her mind. Hermione blinked as she tried to remain relaxed. It was as though McGonagall was waiting for her to admit her worries about Draco. But she couldn't, she had no proof.

"N...no, Professor," Hermione said.

The older woman almost seemed disappointed.

"Very well then, off you go."

Ron nodded and walked away in the direction Harry had, Hermione and Leanne left in the opposite way to the staircase. The corridors were oddly quiet, the older students must've returned from Hogsmeade by now. But there wasn't even any first and second-years around, just the occasional ghost or teacher.

Hermione and Leanne descended the many floors until they reached the basement corridor where the Hufflepuff common room was situated.

"Katie will be fine," Hermione said earnestly. "They'll find out who did it."

"Thanks, Hermione." Leanne said quietly, smiling meekly.

Hermione said goodbye and began making her way to Gryffindor Tower. She reached the Entrance Hall to see other sixth-years run inside from the rain. She almost had to cover her ears as Lavender squealed, running up the stairs with Parvati. Hermione saw someone that she urgently needed to talk to as he stepped inside and took off his coat.

"Malfoy!" she hissed, not sure if 'Draco' was entirely acceptable in front of a large group of Slytherins. He looked around before walking towards her, pushing his hair back with one hand.

"What?" he said in a low voice, his eyes darting around the hall as to see if anyone was watching this exchange.

"I need to talk to you." Hermione said through gritted teeth, she could see Pansy Parkinson watching them by the entrance to the dungeons. "Urgently."

Draco looked over his shoulder to the Slytherins, before looking back at her. He played with one of the buttons on his coat that was in his hands.

"Later? Now isn't really a good time."

"After dinner, seventh floor, outside Arithmancy." Hermione instructed, Draco nodded in agreement.

They parted ways, not even looking back at each other as Draco descended the dungeon steps and Hermione disappeared up the main staircase.

Neither Ron nor Harry was in the common room when Hermione got back to Gryffindor Tower; Ginny wasn't either. Hermione had to face the only other Gryffindors present: Lavender and Parvati.

"Is it true that Katie is in the hospital wing?"

"... That she got a cursed necklace off an ex-boyfriend?"

Hermione looked at them both as they both spoke animatedly of their theories. Gossip was like air to them.

"She's in the hospital wing," Hermione replied finally. "They're not sure what's wrong with her yet."

The other girls looked dismayed, disappearing up a staircase to the girls' dormitories. Hermione heard the creak of the portrait door and whirled around.

"Harry! Where have you been?"

Harry walked slowly towards her, shaking water out of his hair like a dog. He looked as though he had gone back out into the treacherous rain. A certain look of discontent painted across his face.

"Out." he mumbled, collapsing into a chair.

"Where did you go?" Hermione said, sitting down opposite him and studying his face.

"I just had a theory, that's all," he sighed, putting his head in his hands.

"About what?" Hermione asked pressingly.

"'Mione, what's with all the questions? You're not the only one who can go disappearing off."

Hermione felt her face go red. Was he trying to imply something?

"I'm sorry," he added hastily. "It's just … things are complicated at the moment."

/\

"They're thinking of transferring her to St. Mungo's" Ron said sternly, putting sausages on his plate. Lavender gasped dramatically from a few seats down the bench, leaning across to look at him. Harry said nothing, occasionally looking up from his plate at Ginny and Hermione.

The Great Hall was a lot quieter than its usual bustling self, news about Katie had travelled fast. As soon as they had arrived for dinner, students had begun asking questions about the incident. Hermione felt avoiding questions was quite similar to swatting flies away, but still they came back buzzing. The only person she really wanted to talk to was sat at the Slytherin table between Crabbe and Goyle, staring down into his goblet. There wasn't much longer to wait.

Hermione rushed through her food faster than Ron, excusing herself and muttering something about going to the library.

"Is it true that ..." a small Hufflepuff squeaked to her as she reached the door, but she was too preoccupied to even acknowledge the question. She just looked back over her shoulder to see Draco look back at her from his house table, nodding curtly and rising to his feet.

He followed her up the main staircase, through the labyrinth of corridors and up numerous moving staircases. She finally stopped in a deserted corridor; far from people, portraits, professors and prying caretaker's cats.

"What's wrong?" Draco said, leaning in to kiss her briefly.

"Hogsmeade today. Where did you go?" Hermione replied quickly.

Draco's brow furrowed as he looked down at her, shifting his weight from foot to foot.

"Erm, I don't follow. Explain?"

"You weren't in the Entrance Hall when we left; you turned up in the Three Broomsticks before Katie found the necklace. The necklace is the same as one in Borgin and Burke's. You went in there on that day in Diagon..."

"Wait, what? You're suspecting _me_?" Draco said acidly, his temper flaring.

"No, but..."

"No, but you were? I can't believe you, Hermione." he said, stepping away from her. "Wait, what do you mean 'that day in Diagon Alley'?"

Hermione looked down at the stone floor. She had really put her foot in it now.

"You went in _there_ that day when we were in Diagon Alley and I asked whether you'd been to the apothecary and..."

"You knew I went in Borgin and Burke's?" Draco looked at her surprised, pulling at his shirt cuffs and putting his hands in his pockets.

"Yes," Hermione replied. "And when I asked you lied and ran off into Flourish and Blott's."

"What did you do, follow me?"

Hermione looked at her feet once again. Somehow her confrontation had turned into Draco's.

"I told Ron and Harry that it wasn't..."

"Ah, so it was Potter and Weasley's idea? Great." he spat sadistically. Hermione felt water forming in her eyes. No tears fell; they were clinging to her eyelashes for dear life. Draco continued.

"So you bring me up here, accuse me of giving a cursed necklace to a Gryffindor girl for her to bring here; then you tell me that you've been following me about my personal business and then Potter … Potter ..."

Hermione didn't hear the end of the sentence, because Draco had turned and walked away down the corridor, leaving her alone with nothing except the wailing wind and sleet.

_Well that chapter was horrible to write.  
Don't worry, no break up. Just a cooling off  
Lemon Cheese  
xxx_


	18. Chapter 18

_Back :) Was meant to go up yesterday, but a busy bee LemonCheese is!  
Argh, first exam on May 21st! Just want to get them out of the way...  
Ahem, My birthday was on May 8th, Ahem. :D_

/\

Hermione awoke the next morning with a sickening feeling in her stomach. She had avoided her friends after the confrontation with Draco; opting to study in the library and returning to the girl's dormitories early, dodging questions thrown at her by Ron and Ginny.  
She walked down to the Great Hall for breakfast with Harry, neither spoke. They reached a deserted corridor, Hermione decided to break the silence.

"It wasn't Draco."

Harry turned to her with a look of bemusement. They continued walking, but slower. Harry sighed.

"And what brings you to this conclusion?" He asked finally.

"Because I asked him. He got quite offended."

"Of course he did."

"It just doesn't make sense; I was so sure it was him!" Hermione said frustratedly.

"Who's to say that it wasn't him?"

"He did!"

"So did he actually say 'Hermione, I did not plant the cursed necklace in the Three Broomsticks' bathroom'? Did he deny it?" Harry stopped, taking Hermione's hand and looking at her seriously.

"Well... not in exact words but..."

"Exactly."

Hermione's eyes widened as she stared back at Harry.

"Wait, so what if it was him?" she asked. "What do we do? Tell McGonagall?"

"I already have," Harry replied. "I've spoken to McGonagall."

They began walking again, this time a lot faster – reflecting the distressed thoughts running through Hermione's head. What was she going to do? How would she talk to Draco now, knowing that he could possibly be a Death Eater?

"Stop panicking, Hermione." Harry said as they reached the main staircase. "I've got it sorted. Put it out of your mind."

Hermione nodded and followed him through the double doors to the Great Hall, taking their places at the Gryffindor table.

"Where did you run off to yesterday?" Hermione asked, taking a sip of pumpkin juice.

"Dumbledore." Harry replied quickly, looking up as Ron entered the hall and sat opposite them.

"Morning." Ron mumbled, heading straight for the large stack of bacon. "Still no more news on Katie?"

Hermione looked over to the Hufflepuff table, where Leanne was quietly eating cereal. Leanne looked up and smiled weakly.

"Nothing yet," Harry said, paying a small owl who had just landed in front of them with a copy of the _Daily Prophet. _Harry unfolded it and studied the front page, his eyes flickering across the text. "Seems like there's nothing in here either."

Hermione's eyes wavered to the Slytherin table, searching for any sign of Draco. He wasn't there.

"I'll be back in a minute." she said, getting to her feet.

"Hermione." Harry said, raising his eyebrows. She gave him a reassuring look before leaving to the Entrance Hall.

"Miss Granger?"

Hermione sighed, turning around to see Slughorn slowly waddling towards her, grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"Yes, Professor?"

"It's nearly Christmas and I was thinking about something, a little get-together." He began. "For the club obviously, and each member will bring a guest. I'm thinking of inviting Gwenog Jones, maybe Eldred Worple … oh! And..."

"I'd love to attend, Professor." Hermione grimaced.

"Don't forget to tell Mr Potter!" Slughorn boomed, walking towards the dungeons.

Great. Another Slug Club.

"Who will your guest be then?" a smooth voice came from behind her.

Hermione turned to see Draco behind her. She instinctively took a step back and folded her arms.

"I don't know." she said quietly.

"It couldn't be me, of course." He said matter-of-factly. "But I don't want you going there with some other guy."

"Why not?" Hermione's voice faltered.

"You're mine, Granger." Draco said in a quiet voice, staring at her intensely. She tried to take another step back, but felt the wall behind stop her.

"I'm still not happy with you, you know that?" she said with a sudden boost of confidence, pushing past him.

"And I you."

He leant against the wall.

"Take Weasley or something, Longbottom, anyone. Just don't invite some bone-head that'll stare at your chest all night."

"Whatever." Hermione replied, striding off back towards the Great Hall.

"On second thoughts," Draco called after her. "Don't invite Weasley!"

But she didn't hear him.

/\

**They had Herbology first thing the following morning. **Hermione could ask Ron and get the whole 'guest' thing over and done with. It was simple.

**The weekend's brutal wind had died out at least; the weird mist had returned and it took them a little longer than usual to find the correct greenhouse.**

"I'm not too sure about this whole Christmas party thing." Harry said as they took their places around one of the gnarled Snargaluff stumps that formed that term's project, pulling out their protective gloves.

"What are these parties like?" Ron asked with a hint of disgust in his voice.

"**Oh they're quite fun, really," said Hermione, **putting on her goggles**. "I mean, he drones on about famous ex-pupils a bit, and he absolutely _fawns _on McLaggen because he's so well connected, **but he does give us some really nice food and he's going to introduce us to Gwenog Jones."

"**Gwenog Jones?" said Ron, his eyes widening under his own goggles. "_The _Gwenog Jones? Captain of the Holyhead Harpies?"**

"**That's right." said Hermione. "Personally, I think she'll be a bit full of herself, but -"**

"**_Quite _enough chat over there!" said Professor Sprout briskly, bustling over and looking stern.**

They took deep breaths as they looked at the stump, diving at it to retrieve its pods. It sprang to life and long prickly vines shot out in all directions. Hermione plunged her arm bravely into the whole that had just revealed itself from between the vines. It closed like a trap around her elbow. **Harry and Ron tugged and wrenched at the vines, forcing the hole to open again and Hermione snatched her arm free, clutching in her fingers an unpleasantly pulsating green object about the size of a grapefruit. At once, the prickly vines shot back inside and the gnarled stump sat there looking like an innocently dead lump of wood. **

"Anyway," said Hermione, continuing their conversation as she held the pod at arm's-length whilst finding a bowl. "Slughorn _will_ have a party, Harry, and there's no way you'll be able to wriggle out of this one. He's asked me to check when you have free evenings so he can make sure you attend."

Harry groaned.

"And this is another party just for Slughorn's favourites is it?"

Hermione looked over at Ron, who was attempting to bust a pod in the bowl by **putting both hands on it, standing up and squashing it as hard as he could.**

"**Just for Slug Club, yes," said Hermione.**

**The pod flew out from under Ron's fingers and hit the greenhouse glass, rebounding on to the back of Professor Sprout's head and knocking off her old patched hat. **Harry went to retrieve it.

"I didn't make up the name 'Slug Club' it's -"

"**_'Slug Club',_" repeated Ron with a sneer worthy of Malfoy. "It's pathetic. Well, I hope you enjoy your party. Why don't you try getting off with McLaggen, then Slughorn can make you King and Queen Slug -"**

"**We're allowed to bring guests," said Hermione **angrily, taking the pod from Harry as he returned, crushing it with both hands into the bowl. **"I was _going _to ask you to come, but if you think that's stupid then I won't bother!"**

There was a long silence. Hermione was still fuming, but Ron's expression had changed.

"**You were going to ask me?" asked Ron, in a completely different voice.**

"**Yes," said Hermione angrily. "But obviously if you'd rather I _got off with McLaggen..."_**

From across the greenhouse, Draco's head snapped up. His eyes met with Hermione's and she saw a streak of anger through them. His jaw clenched as he looked at her, but after a few moments his expression softened to form almost a look of pleading. She shook her head and turned back to the Snargaluff, Ron and Harry both now silent.

/\

"**I played like a sack of dragon dung," said Ron in a hollow voice **as he walked through the front doors with Harry. Hermione had waited for them to finish practice, leaving the library and meeting them in the Entrance Hall so they could walk back to Gryffindor Tower together.

Hermione smiled at both of them, the bickering from the week before forgotten. But Ron was still looking glum.

"**No you didn't," said Harry firmly. "You're the best Keeper I tried out, Ron. Your only problem is nerves."**

**He kept up the relentless flow of encouragement **as they climbed the main staircase, **and by the time they had reached the second floor Ron was looking marginally more cheerful. When Harry pushed open the tapestry to take their usual short cut up to Gryffindor Tower, however, they found themselves looking at Dean and Ginny, who were locked in a close embrace and kissing fiercely as if glued together.**

Hermione wanted to laugh, she had noticed Ginny's enthusiasm increase as soon as she realised Harry was there. She crossed her arms and smirked, looking at Ron and Harry, their hands balled to fists as they glared at the couple.

"Oi!"

Dean and Ginny broke apart, their lips swollen.

"What?" said Ginny. Ron scowled at her and Dean.

"**I don't want to find my own sister snogging people in public!"**

"**This was a deserted corridor until you came butting in!" said Ginny.**

Hermione noticed Dean looking rather uncomfortable, edging away from Ginny.

"**Er … c'mon, Ginny," said Dean, "let's go back to the common room ..."**

"**You go!" said Ginny. "I want a word with my dear brother!"**

**Dean left, looking as though he was not sorry to depart the scene. **Harry and Hermione stepped back a small distance too, as the red-headed siblings clashed.

"It is none of your business who I go out with or what I do with them, Ron" Ginny said, tossing her long hair out of her face.

"Yeah, it is! You're too young to be -"

"Too young?" Ginny spluttered. **"Just because you've never snogged anyone in your life, just because the best kiss you've ever had is from Auntie Muriel -"**

"**Shut your mouth!" bellowed Ron, Bypassing red and turning maroon.**

"No I will not!" yelled Ginny, beside herself. "You're pathetic, if you went out and got a bit of snogging done yourself you wouldn't mind so much that everyone else does it!"

"**You don't know what you're talking about!" Ron roared, **ready to pounce at Ginny, if it were not for Harry clutching the back of his jumper. Hermione too had leapt forward, stood between them with arms outstretched. **"Just because I don't do it in public -!"**

**Ginny screamed with derisive laughter.**

"**Been kissing Pigwidgeon have you? Or have you got a picture of Auntie Muriel stashed under your pillow?"**

"**You -"**

Ginny began walking away down the corridor, close to tears. She shouted back angrily over her shoulder.

"**Harry's snogged Cho Chang!" **she called. "And Hermione snogged Malfoy _loads_. **It's only you who acts like it's something disgusting, Ron, and that's because you've got about as much experience as a twelve-year old!"**

**And with that, she stormed away. Harry quickly let go of Ron; the look on his face murderous. **Hermione had tried to hide the blush painted across her face from the moment Ginny had said 'Malfoy'. She reassured herself that it was nothing: Ginny knew nothing; Harry and Ron had no idea either. They stood there until Mrs Norris, Filch's cat, appeared around the corner and broke the tension.

"**C'mon," said Harry, as the sound of Filch's shuffling feet reached their ears. **They left in the direction Ginny had, Back to Gryffindor Tower.


	19. Chapter 19

_Guess what? I HAVE ONE EXAM LEFT! Less than a week from now they'll all be gone and I can catch up on all my updates! Woop :)  
Lemon Cheese is back in business, hope you haven't forgotten me..._

/\

**To Harry and Hermione's dismay, Ron's new aggression did not wear off over the next few days. Worse still, it coincided with an even deeper dip in his Keeping skills, which made him still more aggressive. **It was the final practice before Saturday's match, and Hermione was sitting in the stands with her Arithmancy book, watching as Ron failed to save a single goal. He bellowed out at everybody so much that he had reduced Demelza Robins to tears. Hermione snapped her book shut and began walking down the wooden steps as each of the players landed and dismounted their brooms.

"**You shut up and leave her alone!" shouted Peakes, who was about two-thirds Ron's height, though admittedly carrying a heavy bat.**

"**Enough!" bellowed Harry. **The team became quiet, Ron scowling at the ground as he kicked the damp grass. **"Peakes, go and pack up the bludgers. Demelza, pull yourself together, you played really well today. Ron..." he waited until the rest of the team were out of earshort before saying it, "You're my best mate, but carry on treating the rest of them like this and I'm going to kick you off the team."**

Ron looked angry for a minute, his jaw clenched tightly as he looked at Harry and Hermione. And then he did something quite surprising. His body seemed to sag and he leant against his broom. He ran a hand through his hair.

"I resign, I'm pathetic." he groaned.

"You're not pathetic, Ron." Hermione reassured him, stepping forward and patting his arm.

"You're not resigning either," Harry said firmly, "You can save anything when you're on form, it's a mental problem you've got!"

"**You calling me mental?"**

Ron stood up straight again and glowered at Harry.

"**Yeah, maybe I am!"**

**They glared at each other for a moment, then Ron shook his head wearily.**

"**I know you haven't got any time to find another Keeper, so I'll play tomorrow, but if we lose, and we will, I'm taking myself off the team.**

He swung his broom over his shoulder and made his way to the changing room, leaving Harry and Hermione alone.

"You shouldn't do that you know." Hermione said, one hand on her hip.

"Do what?"

"Wind him up like that, you know how he gets. Maybe the whole 'never had a girlfriend' thing _is_ behind it, that's Ginny's theory. He needs to relax a bit and..."

"You're offering to relieve him of stress?" Harry finished her sentence, laughing as he spoke.

"No, I'm okay thanks." Hermione smirked, looking up at Harry's twinkling eyes.

"You've still got to find a date for Slughorn's remember?" Harry said, moving away to follow where Ron had left to get changed. He called back over his shoulder. "Time is ticking, 'Mione. I'll see you at dinner."

Hermione smiled hesitantly and raised a hand to wave goodbye. She turned and began walking back towards the castle. Harry was right, it was late November and there were only a few weeks until the party. There really was no-one to ask. Ron would probably come with her if she caught him in a good mood. She nodded to herself as she reached the tall oak doors, she would ask Ron.

"Hermione!"

Hermione looked up to see Lavender Brown walking down the main staircase with Pavarti, both of whom looked quite eager to see her.

"Hermione, I heard Ron Weasley was causing a commotion down at the Quidditch pitch?"

Gossip, the fuel of their existence. Why hadn't Hermione realised as soon as she'd seen them?

"Erm, sort of," Hermione replied. "He had an argument with Ginny the other day, so it made him frustrated and lash out because..."

"Ooh, what did he argue with Ginny about?" Pavarti said eagerly, a wicked grin on her face.

"Oh just bickering really. He thought she was too young to be snogging Dean, she was saying he'd never had a girlfriend. I..."

"Ron's never had a girlfriend?" Lavender interrupted.

"No … Yeah … wait I mean … why do you want to know all this?"

"No reason," Lavender giggled, and she and Pavarti swept past and into the Great Hall.

Hermione stood there for a moment, before she saw a familiar figure stood at the top of the staircase to the left of the marble one where Lavender and Pavarti had just been. Draco appeared from the dungeon steps alone, his footsteps quiet as he walked across the flagstone floor towards her.

"Hi." Hermione said softly when he stopped and looked up at her, still keeping his distance. He nodded. "Are you okay? You've been oddly quiet recently."

"I'm fine," he replied. "You've been out in the grounds then?"

He looked at her windswept hair, even bushier than its usual self. He resisted the urge to reach out and brush it out of her eyes. But they weren't in the right place, the middle of the Entrance Hall was hardly the location for students from opposing houses to be seen close together.

"Yes, I was just watching Harry and Ron at Quidditch practice." Hermione said.

"Who are you supporting tomorrow then?" Draco asked, smirking.

"Gryffindor of course! Why on Earth would I support Slytherin?" she replied with a look of disgust on her face, although the grin that then spread across her lips counter-acted it.

Draco smiled, his pale eyes twinkling. It was the first genuine smile Hermione had seen weeks from him, most of his time was spent grumpily skulking around the corridors. He didn't really talk in Arithmancy, just occasionally touch her arm or ask about a passage in the text book. Hermione wanted nothing more than to spend more time with him, but the thought of Katie Bell lying in a hospital bed at St. Mungo's was far from the back of her mind.

"I still haven't found someone to take to the Christmas party," Hermione said, pausing before she continued, "why won't you come with me?"

"I can't! You know that." he replied shortly.

"Fine," she huffed, folding her arms, "I'll invite Ron then."

"Eew, don't invite _Weasley_."

"Why not?"

"Just, don't" Draco shuddered.

"Well who am I supposed to take?" Hermione asked, almost whining.

"You'll find someone." Draco sighed, and looked around. The Entrance Hall was empty apart from them. He stepped forward and kissed her cheek, leaving into the Great Hall for dinner.

/\

**Breakfast was the usual excitable affair next morning; the Slytherins hissed and booed loudly as every member of the Gryffindor team entered the Great Hall. **The ceiling was lit by a clear, pale blue sky; which brought positive spirits to the team. Hermione's eyes darted over to the Slytherin table as they sat down. Draco was amidst the crowd booing at the Gryffindors, joining in and grinning mischievously at Hermione when he caught her looking.

**The Gryffindor table, a solid mass of red and gold, cheered as Harry and Ron approached. Harry grinned and waved; Ron grimaced weakly and shook his head.**

"**Cheer up, Ron!" called Lavender. "I know you'll be brilliant!"**

Hermione looked incredulously at her, she never quite understood the girl with long blonde hair who was sat next to her. Lavender was interested in all the things that Hermione was not: make-up, clothes, gossip and which wizard had won '_most charming smile_' award in witch weekly.

But Ron had simply ignored Lavender and proceeded to stare down at the table, his face a sickly green colour.

"**Tea?" Harry asked him. "Coffee? Pumpkin juice?"**

"**Anything," said Ron glumly, taking a moody bite of toast.**

"How are you both feeling?" Hermione asked tentatively.

"**Fine," said Harry, who was concentrating on handing Ron a glass of pumpkin juice. "There you go, Ron. Drink up."**

Hermione saw a glint of something sparkling in Harry's hand. He swiftly put a tiny crystal bottle in his pocket. Ron raised the glass to his lips to drink, but Hermione stopped him as she spoke sharply.

"**Don't drink that, Ron!"**

**Both Harry and Ron looked up at her.**

"**Why not?" said Ron.**

Hermione glared at Harry is disbelief.

"**You've put something in that drink."**

"**Excuse me?" said Harry.**

"I saw you, Harry! You just put that bottle of in your pocket! I recognised it as well."

"**I don't know what you're talking about."**

"**Ron, I warn you, don't drink it!" Hermione said again, alarmed, but Ron picked up the glass, drained it in one and said "Stop bossing me around, Hermione."**

Hermione didn't know what to stay, she just stared at her best friends in awe. She leant forward and hissed at Harry.

"You could get expelled for something like that, Harry!"

"**Hark who's talking," he whispered back. "Confunded anyone lately?"**

Hermione stood up and left the Great Hall. If there was one thing she couldn't stand, it was rule-breaking. Yes, she had on some occasions, but only when it was truly necessary.

As she stormed off she heard footsteps behind her, but didn't slow down. She carried on walking out into a courtyard.

"Hermione, wait!"

It was not Harry's voice, nor was it Ron's. It wasn't even Draco.

It was Ginny.

Hermione slowed down and peered over her shoulder. Ginny slowed down to a stop, already wearing her quidditch robes with her long red hair tied back into a plait. Hermione sighed and sat down on a stone bench, Ginny joined her.

"Are you okay?"

Hermione sighed again. "Yeah, I'm fine. It's just Harry being Harry as usual. You know what he's like."

"Bloody unobservant, that's what he's like." Ginny muttered.

Hermione looked up at the youngest Weasley.

"Every time Harry walks into a room I throw myself at Dean, and he never reacts. I want him to get jealous!"

"I think he does." Hermione mused, thinking back to Harry's gritted teeth and balled up fists. But still Ginny shook her head.

"Well, at least he'll be happy with good conditions and high chances. One of the Slytherin chasers took a bludger to the head in practice which means he's out. And Malfoy's gone off sick too."

"_What?_" Hermione said loudly. Sick? He looked perfectly fine yesterday, and perfectly fine this morning. There was nothing wrong with him! So why in Merlin's name was he pulling out of a quidditch match? "What's wrong with him?"

"**No idea, but it's great for us," said Ginny brightly. "They're playing Harper instead; he's in my year and he's an idiot."**

Hermione smiled, completely unaware of who 'Harper' was. It didn't really matter anyway. Ginny left for the pitch and Hermione slowly got to her feet. She could walk down and sit with Neville and Luna, but she didn't particularly want to. Instead, she wanted to discover where the 'ill' Draco Malfoy was.

Her first point of call was the dungeons. Hermione didn't know for sure where the Slytherin common room was, but it was possible that she'd bump into him somewhere.

And so she descended the staircase to the torch-lit corridors. She hurried past the potions classroom to the deeper and darker depths of the lower level. The corridors were deserted, all of the other students were at the quidditch match. Well, except for Draco.

She stopped and looked around, her eyes squinting in the darkness. It didn't seem like anybody had been down here in years. Thick layers of dust lay around her, nobody else would be down here. Maybe he was in the library.

But the library too, was empty. There was only Madam Pince sat at her desk, peering up at Hermione through her horn-rimmed glasses, and a sprinkling of students dotted around the shelves. Hermione began walking the length of the vast archive, looking down each row for any sign of a pale-haired sixth-year. But books soon distracted her. She settled down to read a small selection of volumes from the history section, completely forgetting about quidditch and Draco.

A while later she heard cheering from the grounds. She stood up and looked out of the window to see a group of students dressed in red and gold, cheering. They had won. She put the books away and hurried out of the library to meet them.

"Where have you been Hermione?" Ron shouted up the main staircase at her, grinning.

"Um, sorry. I got a little bit distracted."

"Library." Harry and Ginny said in unison, smiling at each other.

"So you won I'm guessing?"

The three of them simply beamed, surrounded by the animation of the other Gryffindors.

"Party in the common room!" Seamus roared, leading the party up to Gryffindor Tower.

"I want a word with you, Harry." Hermione mumbled, holding him back. **She took a deep breath. "You shouldn't have done it. You heard Slughorn, it's illegal"**

"I still don't follow what you're talking about." Harry said. Ron too had held back and was now looking at Hermione with a confused expression.

"**You know perfectly well what I'm talking about!" said Hermione shrilly. "You spiked Ron's juice with lucky potion at breakfast! Felix Felicis!"**

"No I didn't."

"**Yes you did, Harry, and that's why everything went right, there were Slytherin players missing and Ron saved everything!"**

"**I didn't put it in!" said Harry, now grinning broadly. He slipped his hand inside his jacket pocket and drew out the tiny bottle that Hermione had seen in his hand that morning.**

**It was full of golden potion and the cork was still tightly sealed with wax. **Hermione stared at it. Not quite sure what to say. Harry pocketed the potion again.

"What, so you just pretended?" Ron asked. Harry nodded. Ron gaped at him for a moment, then rounded on Hermione, imitating her voice.

"_You added Felix Felicis to Ron's juice this morning, that's why he saved everything! _See! I can save goals without help, Hermione!"

"**I never said you couldn't – Ron, _you _though you'd been given it, too!"**

Ron stormed off, following the group of Gryffindors.

"Hermione, I ..."

"I just need some time to myself, Harry." Hermione said, talking a different route and up a spiral staircase. She could feel her face burning.

The sun still shone weakly in the pale sky, casting shadows in the corridors. Hermione walked the corridors slowly, trying to calm down. She ended up on the fifth floor outside the Prefects' bathroom.

Hermione didn't use it much, it was quite a detour from her other classes. She uttered the password and stepped inside.

Unusually, it was empty. She sat down at the edge of the swimming pool sized bath and looked at some soap suds that had been left behind by whoever had been in last. She wouldn't take a bath or anything, just sit here in the quiet for a few minutes before she returned to the rumpus of the common room.

There were footsteps from the stalls to the side of the room and Hermione's head snapped up. She could've sworn that she was alone. The door unlocked and Draco stepped out. He was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, but his hair was still wet and falling messily in his face. He looked almost as shocked as she did. Hermione let out a sigh of relief and smiled.

"I've been looking for you everywhere." she said.

"Really?" He sat down next to her at the edge of the sunken bath and leant in to kiss her.

"You can't have been in here all this time, where have you been hiding?"

"Hiding?" Draco asked, bemused.

"Yes, Hiding. Ginny said you weren't playing in the match and that you were 'sick'."

"I was in my dormitory, 'sick'." Draco mocked the air quotes that Hermione had just made with her fingers. He laughed and kissed her again, but Hermione wasn't as pleased. She was determined to catch him out.

"Then why come up all the way to the fifth floor to have a bath?"

"Same reason that you're here, it's quiet. What's with all of the questions?"

"No reason." Hermione stood up, crossing her arms. Draco sighed.

"It's this 'Slug Club' again, isn't it? You've just got to relax about it, Hermione. I can't go with you. I'm sure one of your friends would be happy to be your guest. If not, I'm sure I could loan you one of my friends, although..."

Hermione stopped listening to Draco's yammering voice, the anger she had just managed to get rid of returned. She whirled around and stared at him.

"Draco, just, urghh!" She began to shout, all her anger coming out at once. "I know what you're up to Draco Malfoy, don't think you can hide it from me!"

Draco stopped talking and gawped at her, his face paling more than its usual self. Hermione paced the floor, muttering to herself.

"What am I doing, what am I doing, what am I doing?"

She shook her head and moaned, still muttering. She'd got herself into quite a mess. She was one of Dumbledore's Army, the Order, out to fight against Voldemort; and that same person was in a secret relationship with a son of a Death Eater, and quite possibly one himself? It just wasn't meant to work. She looked up and Draco, who was still in shock.

"I'm going."

She almost ran to the door, sprinting the corridors up the the seventh floor and Gryffindor Tower.

**Hermione could not see Harry at the Gryffindor celebration party, which was in full swing when she arrived. She ducked towards the drinks table and walked straight towards Ginny, Arnold the Pygmy Puff riding on her shoulder and Crookshanks mewing hopefully at her heels.**

"**Looking for Ron?" she asked, smirking. "He's over there, the filthy hypocrite."**

Hermione was about to say no, but then she looked to the corner where Ginny was indicating. **There, in full view of the whole room, stood wrapped so closely around Lavender Brown that you could hardly tell whose hands were whose.**

"**It looks like he's eating her face, doesn't it?" said Ginny dispassionately. "But I suppose he's got to refine his technique somehow."**

Ginny wandered off.

Hermione felt like cursing, now she knew why Lavender had been so interested in Ron. But this left things in an awkward position. Hermione had been hoping to patch things up with him and ask him to the Christmas party, like she had been telling herself for weeks. Now it didn't seem possible.

And with Lavender Brown, really? What did Ronald see in that giggling, gossiping, pink-loving freak? Maybe Ginny's comments had gotten to him.

She realised that she'd been staring for a few minutes and would obviously look quite strange. She headed straight for the portrait hole, determined to find someone to ask to the Slug Club party. Anyone.

Well, not Neville. Or Seamus. She couldn't ask Dean (although she was sure that Ginny wouldn't mind). There had to be someone...

She pushed open the portrait and stepped out into the corridor, only to be met with a boy in the year above. An idea appeared in her mind.

"Cormac, I was wondering …"

/\

_Bit of a cliffhanger? Nice long chapter for you all, hope that it is up to usual standards and there aren't plot holes or anything.  
Until next time  
xxx_


	20. Chapter 20

_I have no excuses. Crucio me.  
So I'm a super fail and I promised that I'd start updating regularly again and didn't, I am very sorry. This chapter has been slow progress, I would open the document, write a sentence and then leave it minimized for hours. Even through the 3 weeks of constant rain and being indoors I didn't get anything done, I just spent my time IRL.  
On a different note: **Has anyone watched A Very Potter Sequel yet? **And if so, what did you think?_

/\

**Snow was swirling against the icy windows once more; Christmas was approaching fast. Hagrid has already single-handedly delivered the usual twelve Christmas trees for the Great Hall; garlands of holly and tinsel had been twisted around the banisters of the stairs; everlasting candles glowed from inside the helmets of suits of armour and great bunches of mistletoe had been hung at intervals along the corridors. **Hermione caught Draco stood underneath one such bunch outside Arithmancy, eyebrows raised. Hermione simply smirked and went inside the classroom.

She had stopped talking to Ron. It wasn't difficult to do, he always had Lavender glued to his lips. She hated being in the common room, putting up with them canoodling in the corner. She returned to her old friend, the library. And that is where Harry found her one Thursday evening.

"**He's at perfect liberty to kiss whomever he likes," she said, while Madam Pince prowled the shelves behind them. "I really couldn't care less."**

**She raised her quill and dotted an 'i' so ferociously that she punctured a hole in her parchment. Harry said nothing. **He looked back down at his copy of _Advanced Potion Making_ and flipped through the graffitied pages. Hermione tutted, watching as he scribbled down notes from the Half-Blood Prince.

"For the last time, Hermione," Harry said in a hoarse whisper, not looking up, "I am _not_ giving this book back."

"I know I know, you just have to watch out, Harry. That book isn't the only thing you should be worried about."

"Go on."

"**I went into the girls' bathroom earlier just before I came in here and there were about a dozen girls in there..."**

Harry gasped. "Such a travesty!"

Hermione shot him a dirty look and continued.

"Anyway, that Romilda Vane was there. **They were trying to decide how to slip you a love potion. They're all hoping that they're going to get you to take them to Slughorn's party and they all seem to have Fred and George's love potions, which I'm afraid to say probably work -"**

"Why didn't you confiscate them?" Harry asked, looking a little shocked.

"They didn't actually have the potions with them," Hermione replied, disappointed. "They were just discussing tactics."

"I'd better hurry up and invite someone then." Harry said quietly his eyes scanning around the empty library. Hermione was amazed, she almost stared open-mouthed at him.

"What, you mean you haven't asked anyone yet? All this _'better hurry up, 'mione, everyone else is taking someone'_? You're such a hypocrite!"

"**There isn't anyone I want to invite," mumbled Harry.**

Hermione simply smirked, finding her best friend's change in confidence entertaining.

"You could always go with me?" Harry said, in an even quieter voice. "I mean, you're not going out with anyone at the moment, and we could go as friends?"

"Oh, it's like the Yule Ball all over again." Hermione sighed, looking down at the book she was reading and blushing.

"Who is it this time? Not Malfoy again, I hope?"

"It's, erm, a surprise."

Harry groaned.

"It's worse than Malfoy, isn't it? I knew -"

Harry stopped dead. Hermione had heard it too. **Somebody had moved close behind them ****among the dark bookshelves. They waited and a moment later the vulture-like countenance of Madam Prince appeared round the corner, her sunken cheeks, her ****skin like parchment and her long hooked nose illuminated unflatteringly by the lamp she was carrying.**

"**The library is now closed," she said, "Mind you return anything you have borrowed to the correct – **_**what have you been doing to that book, you depraved boy?"**_

"**It isn't the library's, it's mine!" said Harry hastily, snatching his copy of **_**Advanced Potion-Making **_**off the table as she lunged at it with a clawlike hand.**

"**Despoiled!" she hissed. "Desecrated! Befouled!"**

"**It's just a book that's been written in!" said Harry, tugging it out of her grip. **Hermione stood up and backed away and watched as Harry battled with _a member of staff._

Madam Pince looked as though she was about to have a seizure. Hermione hastily packed up her things, grabbed Harry by the arm and frogmarched him away.

"**She'll ban you from the library if you're not careful. Why did you bring that stupid book?"**

"**It's not my fault she's barking mad, Hermione. **And how else was I supposed to do that homework?"

Hermione shook her head. They climbed a staircase, coming out into a corridor littered with other Gryffindor students heading back to the tower.

**Enjoying the fact that they could speak normally again, they made their was along the deserted, lamp-lit corridors back to the common room, **discussing everything from Christmas to Harry's belief that Filch and Madam Pince were secretly a couple.

"Baubles," said Harry to the Fat Lady, the new, festive password.

"**Same to you," said the Fat Lady with a roguish grin, and she swung forwards to admit them.**

"**Hi, Harry!" said Romilda Vane, the moment he had climbed through the portrait hole. "Fancy a Gillywater?"**

**Hermione gave him a 'What-did-I-tell-you?' look over her shoulder.**

"Erm, no thanks, I'm fine." Harry said quickly.

"**Well, take these anyway," said Romilda, thrusting a cox into his hands "Chocolate Cauldrons, they've got Firewhiskey in them. My gran sent them to me, but I don't like them."**

"**Oh – right – thanks a lot," said Harry, who could not think what else to say. "Er – I'm just going over here with..."**

He hurried off with Hermione as Romilda stood with a rather large smile on her face.

"What did I tell you?" Hermione laughed, steering Harry towards the bottom of the dormitory steps. "The sooner you ask someone, the sooner they'll leave you alone."

Harry scowled.

Hermione's eyes flickered around the room as she surveyed who was there. The sixth-years were sat around the fire: Neville flicking through the pages of a book on his lap, Seamus and Dean chatting, and Lavender, curled up in an armchair looking particularly disgruntled.

"Where's Ron?" Hermione asked to no-one in particular.

"He went upstairs," said Parvati, who had just reached the bottom of the girls' staircase, clutching a copy of Witch Weekly. "He was bickering with Lavender then just got up and left."

"Trouble in paradise?" Hermione said, eyebrow raised. Parvati shrugged.

"I'll go get him." Harry said, disappearing up to the boys' dormitories, the box of Chocolate Cauldrons still in his hands.

/\

Hermione was alone in the sixth-year dormitory, dragging a brush through her bushy hair as she got ready for Slughorn's Christmas party. She noticed a familiar pendant loose around her neck, no longer hidden by her school shirt. The chain ran freely around her collarbone, the emerald-green stone resting just above the neckline of her dress. If she wore it to the party, somebody would surely notice. But Hermione couldn't bare to take it off.

She unclasped it and pondered for a few moments, before resorting to wrapping it around her wrist, placed discreetly between the two bracelets she was already wearing.

The door creaked open and Hermione whirled round to see Parvati walk in and over to her trunk.

"Hi, Hermione." she said, glancing up quickly. She retrieved some parchment and a quill before straightening up and smiling. "I like your dress, you're going to Slughorn's party then?"

"Erm, yes. I'm meeting Cormac and ..."

Hermione stopped dead and blushed as Parvati grinned her most mischievous grin. It was the same smile she got when she found out new gossip, her dark eyes twinkling.

"Cormac?"

"Yes." Hermione replied, leaving the room and starting down the stairs.

"Cormac McLaggen?"

They had now reached the bottom of the stairs where Harry was stood talking to Ron. Ron's head snapped up as he heard their voices.

"**That's right," said Hermione sweetly. "The one who _almost_," she put a great deal of emphasis on the word, "became Gryffindor Keeper."**

Hermione watched as Ron's jaw clenched tight and his fists clenched. Harry stared, eyebrows raised, at her in amazement.

"You seem to attract the Quidditch players, don't you?" said Parvati, looking positively agog at this piece of gossip. "I mean, Cormac, you had Krum following you around in fourth-year, and then there was Draco..."

Parvati went quiet, evaluating Hermione's expression. After they broke up at the end of their fourth-year, the whole subject of Draco and Hermione had become tender within the circle of Gryffindor sixth-years. But Hermione ignored this and instead pictured the look on Draco's face when he found out about Cormac. She smirked. Then he'd think twice next time there was a party.

"Well, bye then." Hermione said, walking towards the portrait hole, where Cormac was stood. Parvati immediately rushed over to Lavender, and they put their heads together to discuss this new development.

Cormac took Hermione by the arm and lead her out of the common room, a smug expression painted across his face.

/\

**Whether it had been built that way, or because he had used magical trickery to make it so, Slughorn's office was much larger than the usual teacher's study. The ceiling and walls had been draped with emerald, crimson and gold hangings, so that it looked as though they were all inside a vast tent. The room was crowded and stuffy and bathed in the red light cast by an ornate golden lamp dangling from the centre of the ceiling in which real fairies were fluttering, each a brilliant speck of light.**

Hermione stared up as the lamp as the fairies flittered amongst each other, their delicate wings flapping vigorously. The room was crowded with all sorts of people, not just students. She could hear the soft melodic music of mandolins in a distant corner, and the dull murmur of conversation.

Slughorn had issued his usual booming greetings to her and Cormac when they arrived, briefly introducing them to various witches, wizards and warlocks. Cormac had disappeared to search for drinks and Hermione was left alone, staring up at the fascinating light above her.

Hermione felt something poking at her leg and looked down to see a tiny house-elf holding out a silver platter. She gasped with shock.

"Would Miss like anything?" the house-elf squeaked gesturing to the stack of mince pies.

"N-no thank you." Hermione stammered, to which the house-elf bowed and hurried off.

Hermione looked around and noticed that there were a large number of house-elves who were negotiating their way through the forest of knees, looking like little roving tables due to the enormity of the trays. Hermione couldn't help but feel sorry for the little creatures, nobody else had appeared to notice them.

"Here you go," Cormac returned and passed a glass of butterbeer to her, taking a swig of his own. "It's great in here, isn't it?"

"Yes, it's really something." Hermione mumbled, peering through people's legs to observe the poor little house-elves. She looked back to see Cormac very close to her face, too close for comfort.

"Why I didn't notice you before, Granger, I'll never know," he growled.

Hermione swallowed and took a step back, away from the beady brown eyes that were boring into her own. Cormac licked his lips and smirked.

"I know why you asked me here, I've seen the way you look at me."

"I – I look at you?" Hermione stammered, edging away still. But Cormac simply strode forward and back into her personal bubble. One hand had reached her hair and his fingers twirled a lock of it. Usually, Hermione found this quite calming. But only when it was Draco doing it.

"Couldn't resist the McLaggen could you?" Cormac continued. "I mean, it's quite understandable, it is _me_ after all. Why hang out with Potter and Weasley when you could be with _me_?"

His eyes flicked up above them briefly. Hermione's heart stopped as she looked up to see mistletoe hanging ominously above them. Cormac grinned as he leant closer towards her, within an inch of her face.

"Erm, excuse me one moment" Hermione said quickly, pushing him away with all the strength she had. Cormac looked slightly bemused as she disappeared between what looked like two members of the Weird Sisters.

"**Hermione! _Hermione!_"**

Hermione kept on walking until she realised whose voice it was. She abruptly stopped and turned.

"Harry! Thank goodness! Hi, Luna!"

Stood next to Harry was a familiar girl with long pale blonde hair, smiling back at her. Her dress was of a sparkling silver that caught the light of the lanterns as she moved. She also wore a simple silver chain with a sapphire pendant. Hermione smiled even more broadly, it was a change from Luna's usual attire of a butterbeer cork necklace, radish earrings and spectrespecs.

"Hi, Hermione!" Luna beamed.

"**What happened to you?" asked Harry, **noticing the slightly flustered look on her face.

"**Oh, I've just escaped – I mean, I've just left Cormac," she said. "Under the mistletoe," she added in explanation, as Harry continued to look questioningly at her. **Realisation dawned on him and he sighed.

"Definitely worse than Malfoy," he muttered.

"Yes, just help me hide from him. He wont leave me alone! When I asked him to this I didn't realise what I was letting myself into, I just panicked."

"**Serves you right for coming with him" Harry told her severely. **Luna offered her a look of sympathy before floating away towards a house-elf holding a tray of butterbeer.

"Harry, m'boy! I have a few people I'd like you to meet!"

Slughorn whisked Harry away from Hermione, and suddenly she was alone again.  
Hermione prowled the perimeter of the room for a while, unsure who to talk to. She chatted to Ginny for a while, who had brought Dean Thomas as her date. She noticed how Ginny attempted to steer herself and Dean into Harry's eye-line, but with little prevail. She left them to it and continued to wander about the room. Until she bumped into someone.

"Hermione! There you are!"

Hermione couldn't help but groan as she was once again faced with Cormac McLaggen.

"You're sneaky, Hermione. You left me under the mistletoe." He said, raising his eyebrows.

"Oh, sorry about that."

"Luckily shortly after that I ran into Meaghan McCormack, she's the Keeper for Pride of Portree, we got into discussing tactics. I said that I preferred the idea of..."

Cormac was silenced by the clatter of a silver tray hitting the stone floor. They looked to see a house-elf on its hands and knees, after being knocked over by a fuming Filch. He was not alone. Draco was being dragged by his ear as they moved towards Professor Slughorn, ignoring the trembling house-elf who was now hastily clearing up the dropped cauldron cakes.

"**Professor Slughorn," wheezed Filch, his jowls aquiver and the maniacal light of mischief-detection in this bulging eyes, "I have discovered this boy lurking in an upstairs corridor. He claims to have been invited to your party and to have been delayed in setting out. Did you issue him with an invitation?"**

Hermione watched Draco's head rotate like an owl's as he scanned the faces in the room. He finally rested upon Hermione's, his eyes suddenly widening. Hermione looked quizzically at him before realising who she was stood with.

"Why is he looking at us?" Cormac muttered in her ear, using it as yet another opportunity to linger closer. Hermione didn't reply, or even look at him. Her eyes were locked on Draco's.

A strange accumulation of emotions spread across his face one after another until he reached a contorted scowl directed at Cormac. **He pulled himself free of Filch's grip, looking furious.**

"**All right, I wasn't invited!" He said angrily. "I was trying to gatecrash, happy?"**

"**No I am not!" said Filch, a statement at complete odds with the glee on his face. ****"You're in trouble, you are! Didn't the Headmaster say that night-time prowling's out, unless you've got permission, didn't he, eh?"**

"**That's all right Argus, that's all right," said Slughorn, waving a hand. "It's Christmas, and it's not a crime to want to come to a party. Just this once, we'll forget any punishment; you may stay, Draco."**

"May I have a world with him first, Professor?" A monotonous tone came from someone stood next to Slughorn. It was Snape.

"Don't be harsh on him, Severus. It's Christmas!" Slughorn hiccuped as he swallowed a mouthful of mead.

Snape simply ignored him, striding forward and pushing Draco off towards the balcony. Draco continued to stare unblinkingly at Hermione, until he disappeared from sight.

There was silence for a few moments, before the party resumed just as before.

"Well that was weird." Cormac said, taking a swig of his drink.

"Erm, excuse me," Hermione said quietly, rushing away as fast as she could. She knew exactly who to look for.

"Luna, have you seen Harry?"

"I think he said he was going to the bathroom." Luna replied cheerfully, who was standing by the punchbowl with Professor Trelawney. Hermione sighed and walked away, catching a snippet of Luna resume conversation about the Rotfang Conspiracy with the Divination professor.

She couldn't help but look out of the window as she walked past to the door to the balcony, expecting to see Draco being scalded by Snape. She stopped.

Draco was there, but not the hook-nosed Potions professor.

Stood, in deep conversation with Draco, was a boy with glasses and dark messy hair. Draco was talking to Harry.

/\

_Dun dun durrrn, what does Harry know?  
I've been working on my 'next project' as well as this, and have decided to write the whole thing and get it all finished before I post it. Then I won't fail at updating_

_I'm going to the US on the 4th of August for three weeks, where I shall be having a technology ban. I shall try to update before then, and if not, I shall write lots of long chapters from here on. LC xx_


	21. Chapter 21

_Yes ridiculously long time, usual excuses. But I've finished my university applications! Yay! That's one thing out of the way..  
Washington and Oregon were amazing, and while I was there I re-read Deathly Hallows. It gave me a chance to make lots of lovely notes for this fic, so there should be some cool stuff when I eventually get there.  
If you knew me, then you'd know that I hate writing about Christmas unless it is around the Christmas period, or at least winter. Hence the difficulty I had in writing this chapter, I needed to be in the Christmas spirit (it is also the reason why my Scorpius/Rose fic hasn't been updated since March). But it's out of the way now, so writing will hopefully be easier.. Anyway, enough blabbering, on with the story!_

/\

Hermione walked towards the open balcony door to see if she could hear Harry and Draco's conversation. She couldn't. _If only I had an Extendable Ear!_  
The balcony wrapped around the side of the castle, Draco and Harry were pretty much as far away from the open door as possible. Hermione eased through the doorway and crept towards them.  
Noticing an alcove in the wall, she walked quickly over, making sure neither boy saw, and cast a Disillusionment Charm on herself. It felt like a raw egg had been cracked upon her head, but she knew they wouldn't be able to see her. And she could now hear their discussion.

"So what did Snape say?"

"Not much, just told me to be more careful. Then he went on and on about an unbreakable vow."

"An unbreakable vow?"

"Yeah, he made one with my mother apparently. I didn't know about it though."

"Snape's right," Hermione could hear the hesitation in Harry's voice. "You have to be more careful. You don't want to get expelled..."

"**I didn't have anything to do with it, all right?"**

There was a pause.

"**I hope you are telling the truth, **because you can't afford to take risks like this. That isn't what we agreed. You've got to lay low, Malfoy, you're already suspected of having a hand in it."

"**Who suspects me?" said Malfoy angrily. "For the last time, I didn't do it, OK? That Bell girl must've had an enemy no one knows about – don't look at me like that!"**

"I'm not quite sure whether to believe you," Harry sighed. "I advise you to keep away from the evil activities, yeah? Remember which side you're on."

Harry stepped away from Draco and began walking towards the door back and to the party. The hairs on the back of Hermione's neck stood on end as she felt her best friend brush past her.

Harry stopped short before he disappeared from view, turning to Draco.

"Oh, and by the way: it was Hermione who suspected you, remember? She told me all about it. I know she has forgiven you now, or whatever, but please stay away from her. I don't want her to be caught up in this."

Draco nodded, running his hands through his hair anxiously.

/\

Hermione waited until Draco finally went inside, before returning to the party herself.  
Luckily, Cormac had seemed to have disappeared into a crowd of girls, but Hermione could still hear his rather loud and obnoxious voice over the buzz of the party. She navigated her way through the sea of people; past Harry and Luna, past Ginny (she wasn't with Dean), past Melinda Bobbin (who smiled and offered her a drink), and out of Slughorn's office.

She took a few paces down the corridor, then stopped and collapsed onto a stone bench beneath one of the windows. Her mind was racing. What now?

Her head fell into her hands and she closed her eyes.

Harry wanted her to stay away from Draco, not to get caught up in something. Draco being a Death Eater? Was Draco a Death Eater? What did Harry mean 'remember which side you're on'? Which side _was_ Draco on? Did she need to break up with him? Why did Snape take an unbreakable vow? What was...

"Hermione?"

"What?" Hermione mumbled, not moving. She already knew who it was.

She felt Draco sit down next to her, and reached to pull her hands away from her face.

"What's up?"

"Nothing." Hermione mumbled, her fingers still clamped over her eyes. Draco attempted to pull her hands away again, this time succeeding.

"Hermione?"

"I'm fine, really, just tired that's all."

"Do you want me to walk you back to your tower?" Draco asked, still holding her hands. Hermione nodded.

He let go of one of her hands and pulled her up form her seat with the other, slipping his fingers between hers. They walked slowly down the corridor in a comfortable silence, luckily they didn't see anyone else.

As they reached the Fat Lady, Draco pulled Hermione's hand to his lips and kissed the inside of her wrist.

"Oh, so that's where it was," he mused, inspecting the emerald pendant nestled between the two other silver bracelets. "It looks quite nice as a bracelet, maybe that's what I'll get you for Christmas."

Hermione smiled hesitantly before saying goodbye and turning to the portrait hanging in front of her. Draco slipped quietly down the staircase at the end of the corridor.

"Password?"

"Baubles."

"Very good dear," the Fat Lady said, swinging open slowly. "You know, I'm all for house unity, but a Slytherin? Really?"

Hermione said nothing and climbed inside.

/\

"What's that box, 'Mione?"

Hermione was sat cross-legged on the floor in her living room, her parents on the sofa. She had opted to stay home this Christmas, whereas Harry had gone with Ron to the Burrow. Returning home was always a down to earth experience for her, Hermione lived this time just like any other muggle girl. She had helped her mum at the supermarket, wrapped presents (without the aid of magic) and even helped with preparing Christmas dinner.  
She looked at the last present that remained unopened, the wrapping paper was awfully familiar. Her mind whizzed back to Christmas in her fourth year, seeing a box almost exactly the same on her bed in her dormitory at Hogwarts.

"It's just another from one of my friends from school, I'll open it later."

"You've opened all of the rest, dear, you might as well open this one." Mrs Granger said.

Hermione sighed and pulled at the deep purple ribbon holding the silver paper together. A blue box fell into her lap. She lifted the lid slowly to reveal exactly what she was expecting. A silver bracelet. But this gift had one aspect that Hermione did not expect. Instead of an emerald teardrop hanging from it, there was a garnet.

Hermione lifted it from the wrapping, holding it up so that the light reflected from the gemstone's surface.

"Oh, that's lovely!" Mrs Granger cooed, getting up from the sofa to have a closer look. She helped her daughter fasten the bracelet, inspecting the stone as she did so. "Was it from Ronald?"

Hermione shook her head.

"No, he sent that jumper and the Christmas cake, remember? Well, his family did, anyway." Hermione replied, trailing off by the end of the sentence.

Mrs Granger stood up, smoothing down her skirt as she did so.

"Well, whoever bought it for you is very thoughtful and considerate." she said. "I'm just going to check on the food."

Hermione also stood up, but so she sit on the sofa with her father. Mr Granger picked up the television remote and smiled.

"Nearly time for the Queen's speech, I think."

/\

Hermione took one last look at her room as she finished packing her trunk. It seemed like an empty shell to her, without piles of books on her windowsill and photos blue-tacked on the walls. They were all in her trunk.

Only one photo remained, developed in a potion that made the subjects move.

Hermione was stood in the middle, Harry and Ron on either side. It was a photo that Colin Creevey had took at the end of their second year, and Hermione had secretly asked for a copy of.

It was a simpler time, there was less to worry about. Well, except that the Chamber of Secrets had been opened and muggle-born students had been petrified, including herself. But Ron and Harry had solved everything, Ginny was rescued and the basilisk killed.

It was before Hermione had even thought about seeing Malfoy as anything more than a snobbish, arrogant little prick. This Hermione wouldn't have dreamed of meeting up with said Draco Malfoy in the library at the beginning of their fourth year, sparking a romance between the two of them.

Part of Hermione wished that things were like they were at the end of second year. Things were, simpler.

/\

Hermione hurried towards the Fat Lady, seeing Ron, Harry and Ginny outside.

"**I got back a couple of hours ago, I've just been down to visit Hagrid and Buck- I mean Witherwings," she said breathlessly. "Did you have a good Christmas?"**

"**Yea," said Ron at once, "pretty eventful, Rufus Scrim-"**

"**I've got something for you, Harry" said Hermione, neither looking at Ron nor giving any sign that she had heard him.**

"**Oh, hang on – password. _Abstinence_."**

"**Precisely," said that Fat Lady in a feeble voice, and swung forwards to reveal the portrait hole.**

They climbed inside and walked into the common room. Hermione rummaged in her pocket as they did so, pulling out a scroll with Dumbledore's writing on it.

"Great," said Harry, unrolling it at once. "I've got loads to tell him – and you. Let's sit down -"

**But at that moment there was a loud squeal of "Won-Won!" and Lavender Brown came hurtling out of nowhere and flung herself into Ron's arms. Several onlookers sniggered; Hermione gave a tinkling laugh and said, "There's a table over here … coming, Ginny?"**

"**No, thanks, I said I'd meet Dean," said Ginny. **Hermione noticed that she looked less than enthusiastic about the prospect of meeting Dean.

Ginny disappeared into the crowd, Harry and Hermione collapsed into two chairs.

"How was your holiday then?"

"It was good," Hermione replied. "Pretty uneventful though. How was Christmas at _Won-Won's_?"

"Hermione..." Harry began, running his fingers through his hair.

"I'm just asking a question." Hermione shrugged.

"Will you lay off Ron about Lavender, please? You barely talk to him, and when you do it's usually something about her. You're really starting to get to him."

"Am I?" Hermione asked, feigning innocence.

"Stop it."

"Oh, all right," Hermione sighed, "I'll stop, I've had my fun."

They both looked over to Ron, who was trying to talk to Dean while Lavender draped herself over him. Every time she tried to snuggle up to him, Ron did his best to push her away.

"He's trying to work out how to dump her," Harry said in a low voice. "He can't deal with her following him around all the time. She never shuts up."

"He should try sharing a dormitory with her for six years." Hermione muttered.

/\

_I'd make it longer, but this sort of comes to a natural close here. After this there's quite a big jump. I find it weird that there's barely any quotes in this chapter, does it still work?_

_Anyway, I'd better get working on the next chapter..._

_Leave a review? xxx_


	22. Chapter 22

_Hello again. Here is a new chapter pour vous.  
I have no excuses, I was simply just too lazy. But oh my God, I saw Deathly Hallows on Friday! It was awesome, I need to see it again. What did you guys think of it? I loved the Tales of Beedle the Bard sequence :)_

/\

The morning after his meeting with Dumbledore** Harry confided in both Ron and Hermione the task that Dumbledore had set him, **to retrieve Professor Slughorn's memory of discussing Horcruxes with Tom Riddle. **Ron thought that Harry was unlikely to have any trouble with Slughorn at all.**

"**He loves you," he said over breakfast, waving an airy forkful of fried egg. "Won't refuse you anything, will he? Not his little Potions Prince. Just hang back after class this afternoon and ask him."**

"But Ron," Hermione said, edging away slightly as the fried-egg-fork was thrust in her face by an oblivious Ron. "If Slughorn hid what really happened from _Dumbledore_, why would he tell the truth to Harry?"

Ron shrugged.

"I mean, he could feel guilty for what he really said and not want anyone to know the truth, you've got a tough task ahead, Harry."

Harry nodded and looked down into his bowl of cornflakes, thinking.

After breakfast Hermione made her way up to the library; Harry and Ron both following her, trying to keep up with her fast pace.

"**Horcruxes … _Horcruxes _… I've never even heard of them ..."**

"**You haven't?"**

They reached the library front doors and Hermione rushed through, forgetting about her best friends who were stood behind her. She knew exactly where she was going as she hurried down the rows of books. The Dark Arts section, the first place she thought of – it was one of Tom Riddle's only interests.

She turned sharply to the left, hurtling down the row of books as she scanned their spines.

"Hermione?"

Hermione collided with Draco Malfoy, who caught her as she bounced back into a shelf.

"Oh. Hello." she said, looking a little flustered.

"I've not spoken to you since term started again, where've you been?"

Hermione was aware that Draco was still holding onto her, she tried to wriggle away but he didn't seem to let her.

"We haven't had any classes together yet," she said simply. "Well, we haven't had any classes together that you've turned up to."

"Erm, yeah. I've been busy."

Hermione raised her eyebrows. Draco looked nonchalant, she couldn't read his expression at all. He offered no reaction to her expression. Instead he pulled her towards him, wrapping his arms tighter. Hermione swiftly jerked her head to the side, so that his kiss ended up closer to her ear than her lips.

"Draco..." she whispered hesitantly.

"Hermione?"

They were brought back to earth by the sound of Ron's voice. Hermione pushed Draco away and smoothed down her robes.

"Go!" she hissed, motioning to the other end of the row. Draco turned, looking bewildered, and left.

"Hermione where are you?" Harry called, she heard his footsteps nearby.

"I'm over here," Hermione replied, pulling a random book off the shelf and opening it, pretending to read its content.

/\

Hermione closed her bag as she walked down the girls' dormitory staircase, she had gone back to her room to pick up her Arithmancy textbook before her next class.  
The common room was surprisingly empty, except for Harry and Ron sat at the table by the window, Harry was writing an essay and Ron was flicking through a book.

"I'll see you at lunch?" Hermione smiled as she crossed the room to the portrait hole. Harry nodded, Ron swivelled around in his chair to look at her.

"What lesson are you in?"

Hermione stopped and turned to look at him.

"Arithmancy, why?"

"Do you want us to come and meet you after the lesson, walk with you to the great hall?"

Hermione quickly glanced over Ron's shoulder to Harry, she was a little confused. Harry shrugged.

"Yeah, okay. I'll see you later." Hermione smiled, pushing the Fat Lady portrait open as she spoke.

As she stepped out into the corridor she almost walked into a group of third years, she was too preoccupied with her thoughts to notice as she apologised and sped off. Why had Ron said they'd meet her after Arithmancy? Hermione was a little bit suspicious.

Unless they'd worked out about Draco.  
No, they would've confronted her about that. Maybe they were just being nice … or were suspicious themselves?

Hermione sighed as she sat down at her desk in the Arithmancy classroom, none of the Slytherins had turned up yet. There was just a group of Ravenclaws sat in a group at the front of the room, talking amongst themselves. A boy who Hermione recognised as being Jeremy Stretton quickly glanced over his shoulder at her, then turned back to his friends. A few moments later Mandy Broklehurst did the same.

Were they talking about her?

"Hermione, sorry we're late! You look so lonely sat all by yourself."

Draco plonked himself down in the chair next to her after he, Theodore Nott and Blaise Zabini walked through the classroom door. Blaise offered her a what seemed to be an attempt at a smile, but Theo didn't even seem to acknowledge her presence. They too sat down just as Professor Vector arrived.

/\

At the end of the lesson Hermione was quick to pack up her books and parchment, not even bothering to say goodbye to Draco, who had been trying to converse with her for the whole lesson but had failed. As she stood up Draco grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back into her seat.

"What?" she hissed, rubbing her arm.

"Why aren't you talking to me?" Draco asked, looking pleadingly at her.  
Hermione became very aware of the Ravenclaws who were filing past them, she hadn't forgotten the looks Jeremy and Mandy had given her throughout the hour.

"What do you mean?"

"It feels like you're avoiding me."

"Well I'm not."

They were alone now, even Professor Vector had disappeared into her office just off the classroom. Draco sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"Hermione?"

Hermione turned in her seat to see Harry and Ron's heads poked around the door. Harry seemed to be holding back a scowl.

"Are you coming?" Ron asked, a puzzled expression on his face.

"Erm, yeah," Hermione replied, standing up. "Draco, I'll talk to you later."

Draco nodded also standing up. He slowly began to put his books away. Hermione blushed and followed her two best friends out of the door.

Harry and Ron did not speak to Hermione until they had all sat down at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall.

"What were you doing alone in a classroom with _Malfoy_?" Ron asked, his voice seething as he reached Draco's name.

"Oh, he was asking me to help him with some homework, that's all." Hermione replied, taking a sip of pumpkin juice.

Harry raised his eyebrows.

"He hasn't turned up to lessons recently, he's getting behind" she added.

"Too busy cursing Gryffindors, I think." Ron said through a mouthful of sandwich.

Hermione's heart thumped loudly in her chest. _So Ron suspected Draco too._

After lunch Hermione walked up the main staircase on her way to the library. She saw Draco pacing about, looking at his watch like he was waiting for someone.

"Draco!"

He stopped and turned around to look at her.

"You wanted to talk?"

Draco immediately began pacing again.

"Now isn't really the time, Hermione." he muttered.

There was a grunt from behind Hermione. Crabbe and Goyle had just appeared at the top of the staircase.

"Finally!" Draco said, looking at the pair. "Hurry up!"

Without even saying goodbye to Hermione, Draco walked off, Crabbe and Goyle following him.

/\

"**Good morning," said the Ministry wizard, when all the students had arrived and the Heads of House had called for quiet. "My name is Wilkie Twycross and I shall be your Ministry Apparation Instructor for the next twelve weeks. I hope to be able to prepare you for your Apparation test in this time -"**

"**Malfoy, be quiet and pay attention!" barked Professor McGonagall.**

**Everyone looked round. **Hermione watched as Draco flushed a dull pink and stepped away from Crabbe. He looked particularly agitated.

"**- by which time, many of you may be ready to take your test." Twycross continued, as though there had been no interruption.**

Hermione had been waiting for Apparation lessons for weeks, she'd took out every book in the library on the subject. She was more concerned about what Wilkie Twycross had to say than what Draco had been talking to Crabbe about. But Harry wasn't.

When they were instructed to find a space, Harry moved quickly through the crowd so he was within earshot of Malfoy. Not wanting to be left alone with Ron and Lavender (the latter of which was babbling on and on about some new eye-shadow that she'd bought), Hermione followed Harry. **He had managed to position himself right at the back of the crowd, directly behind Malfoy, who was taking advantage of the general upheaval to continue his argument with Crabbe, standing five feet away and looking mutinous.**

"**I don't know how much longer, all right?" Malfoy shot at him, oblivious to Harry and Hermione standing right behind him. "It's taking longer than I thought it would."**

**Crabbe opened his mouth, but Malfoy appeared to second-guess what he was going to say.**

"**Look, it's just none of your business what I'm doing, Crabbe, you and Goyle just do as you're told and keep lookout!"**

Hermione glanced at Harry, frowning. This was new, Hermione was intrigued. She looked back to the front of the hall, where Flitwick was arranging Ravenclaws.

"**I tell my friends what I'm up to, if I want them to keep a lookout for me," Harry said, just loud enough to hear him.**

**Malfoy spun round on the spot, his hand flying to his wand, **before he noticed Hermione and stopped. His face went white. The then looked to Harry and resumed scowling.

"Potter, I -"

**At that precise moment the four Heads of House shouted "Quiet!" and silence fell again. Draco turned slowly to the front.**

"**Thank you," said Twycross. "Now then ..."**

/\

"**How did you do?" asked Ron, hurrying towards Harry and Hermione as the lesson finished. "I think I felt something the last time I tried – a kind of tingling in my feet."**

"**I expect your trainers are too small, Won-Won," **Hermione smirked.

Ron shot a dark look at her, Hermione giggled.

"I just thought that it might catch on?" she grinned.

"**I didn't feel anything," said Harry, ignoring this interruption. "But I don't care about that now -"**

"**What d'you mean you don't care … don't you want to learn to Apparate?" said Ron incredulously.**

Harry didn't answer, just made his way out of the Great Hall before anyone else. Ron and Hermione almost had to run to keep up.

"**Hurry up, will you, there's something I want to do .."**

Hermione wasn't entirely sure what Harry wanted to do, but she took it upon herself to fill in what had happened in the Apparation lesson for Ron.

The other classes hadn't finished yet, and a lot of the sixth-years were still dawdling in the Great Hall. **They were temporarily detained by Peeves, who had jammed a door on the fourth floor shut and was refusing to let anyone pass until they had set fire to their own pants, but they simply turned back and took one of their trusted short cuts. Within five minutes, they were climbing through the portrait hole**

"**Are you going to tell us what we're doing then?" asked Ron, panting slightly.**

Harry said nothing, just ran up the stairs to the boys' dormitory. Hermione and Ron stayed in the common room for a moment, before following him up the stairs.

"Harry?" Hermione asked as she and Ron walked through the sixth-years' door. Harry was rummaging in his trunk, looking for something.

"**Malfoy's using Crabbe and Goyle as lookouts. I want to know … aha."**

Harry pulled up a folded square of apparently blank parchment, smoothing it out flat on his bed. Hermione and Ron walked closer to look.

"**_I solemnly swear that I am up to no good _… or Malfoy is any way."**

Hermione was confused at what Harry meant, but instead looked down at the parchment.

**The Marauder's Map appeared on the parchment's surface. Here was a detailed plan of every one of the castle's floors and, moving around it, the tiny, labelled black dots that signified each of the castle's occupants.**

"**Help me find Malfoy," said Harry urgently.**

They leaned over and began searching the map. Hermione's eyes went straight to the dungeons.

"_There!_" she said, pointing to the Slytherin common room. "He's with Pansy and Blaise and Crabbe and Goyle ..." She pointed to each labelled dot as she spoke.

Hermione was a little relieved, she was sure Harry wanted to catch Draco out doing something that he shouldn't be.

"I'm going to keep my eye on him from now," Harry said. "I'm suspicious of what he's up to. The moment I see him lurking somewhere with Crabbe and Goyle keeping watch outside, it'll be on with the old Invisibility Cloak and off to find out what he's -"

**He broke off as Neville entered the dormitory.**

"Er, Ron," he said. "Lavender is looking for you."

Ron sighed and walked towards the door, Hermione noticed an immediate change in his walk. He became more slumped over and slower as he left and began descending the staircase. Harry mumbled _'Mischief Managed'_ and quickly put the Marauder's Map back in his trunk before Neville noticed. The three of them followed Ron down to the common room.

"Where've you been, Ronny?" They heard Lavender say. "With Harry?"

"Erm, yeah."

They reached the bottom of the stairs to see Lavender wrapped around Ron. Lavender saw them enter, her expression slightly fouled at the sight of Hermione. She then began passionately kissing Ron, briefly opening her eyes to see if Hermione was watching.

"Excuse me while I go and vomit." Hermione said bluntly, turning on the spot to walk up the girls' staircase.

/\

"**Want one?" said Ron thickly, holding out a box of Chocolate Cauldrons. **Hermione shook her head.

"**No thanks," said Harry, looking up. "Malfoy's gone again!"**

It was late afternoon, and the three of them were sat in a more quiet corner of the common room killing time before dinner. Harry was sat on a sofa, subtly trying to watch the map, concealing it behind a copy of the Daily Prophet. Hermione was stretched out at the other end, with her feet on his lap. She flicked quietly through a book. Ron got up from his chair, clutching a box of chocolates. Hermione suspected they were for his birthday, which had been yesterday.

"**He can't have done," said Ron, stuffing a second Cauldron into his mouth. **

Harry said nothing, just carried on scanning for any sign of Malfoy. **Ron looked thoughtfully at the box of Chocolate Cauldrons, then shrugged and helped himself to a third. **He disappeared up to the boys' dormitory.

Hermione watched Harry scan the map one last time before muttering _'Mischief Managed'_ and folding it back up.

"I'll be back in a second."

Hermione moved her feet and nodded as Harry got up and followed Ron up the stairs. She snapped her book shut and stood up.

"Erm, Hermione?" she heard Harry shout down the stairs. "Hermione? I need you!"

Hermione climbed the staircase and walked into the dormitory.

Ron was leaning against his bedpost, staring out of the rain-washed window with a strange unfocused look on his face.

"Ron?" Hermione said. "Are you coming for dinner?"

She was surprised, usually he was the one asking this question.

"**I'm not hungry."**

**They stared at him.**

"But ..." Harry began.

"**Well, all right, I'll come down with you," sighed Ron, "but I don't want to eat."**

**Hermione scrutinised him suspiciously.**

"**You've just eaten half a box of Chocolate Cauldrons, haven't you?"**

"**It's not that," Ron sighed again. "You … you wouldn't understand."**

"**Fair enough," said Harry, albeit puzzled, as he turned to the door.**

Hermione wasn't convinced, she walked across the room, pulling at Ron arm so he turned to look at them.

"Harry, come back!" Hermione shouted over her shoulder. She heard footsteps as he returned.

"What?"

"Look at him."

Ron's eyes seemed a little unfocused as he stared dreamily into nothingness.

"I can't stand it!" he said.

"**You can't stand what?" asked Harry. **Hermione was starting to feel definitely alarmed. Her mind raced as she stared at Ron. **He was rather pale and looked as though he was about to be sick.**

"**I can't stop thinking about her!" said Ron hoarsely.**

"Who, Lavender?" said Harry, surprised. "But I thought … enough to put you off food?"

"Harry wait!" Hermione said, suddenly realising what had happened. "Where did those chocolates come from?"

"I have no idea, they were on my bed earlier and Ron asked if he could have them."

Harry's eyes widened with realisation.

"**Romilda Vane," said Ron softly, and his whole face seemed to illuminate as he said it, as though hit by a ray of purest sunlight.**

"What do we do?" Harry hissed. "Take him to the Hospital Wing?"

"No, take him to Professor Slughorn, he'll be able to make an antidote."

"Will you introduce me to her, you know her, right?" Ron asked, his eyes refocusing Harry.

"Sure, I'll take you to her." Harry said reassuringly, taking his arm. Hermione followed them out of the room.

/\

Ron was sat on a footstool in Slughorn's office, looking up at Hermione, Harry and Slughorn. He had been asking about the whereabouts of Romilda since he had arrived.

"How do I look?" he asked.

"**Very handsome," said Slughorn smoothly, handing Ron a glass of clear liquid. "Now drink that up, it's a tonic for the nerves, keep you calm when she arrives, you know."**

Ron smiled and took in a mouthful. Then he drained the glass.

They watched him. **For a moment, Ron simply beamed at them. Then, very slowly, his grin sagged and vanished, to be replaced by an expression of utmost horror.**

"**Back to normal then?" said Harry, grinning. Slughorn chuckled. "Thanks a lot, Professor."**

"Don't mention it," he smiled. "It was lucky that you two brought him straight away."

**Ron collapsed into a nearby armchair, looking devastated.**

"**Pick-me-up, that's what he needs," Slughorn continued, now bustling over to a table loaded with drinks.**

Hermione sat in a chair next to Ron and patted his knee.

"Don't worry, you're fine now." she smiled. Ron jerked his head into what seemed like a nod.

"Oak-matured mead!" Slughorn exclaimed, the trio look at him. "I was meant to give it to Dumbledore for Christmas … ah well ..." he shrugged.

Slughorn poured out four glasses and handed them out. Ron took his gratefully as he and Hermione stood up.

"A toast I think yes?" Slughorn said. "Well, to Ralph -"

"**- Ron -" whispered Harry.**

**But Ron, who did not appear to be listening to the toast, had already thrown his mouth and swallowed it.**

**There was one second, hardly more than a heartbeat, in which Hermione knew there was something and Slughorn, it seemed, did not.**

" - and -"

"_Ron!_"

**Ron had dropped his glass and then crumpled, his extremities jerking uncontrollably. Foam was dribbling from his mouth and his eyes were bulging from their sockets.**

"**Professor!" Harry bellowed. "Do something!"**

/\

_Dun dun durn! Cliffhanger.  
Longer than I planned, but got a fair bit out of the way. I kind of can't wait to break Ron and Lavender up. I don't like that pairing, I like Ron and Hermione to be honest (don't hate me?)_

_x_


	23. Chapter 23

_Have finished my Scorpius/Rose fic, tried so hard to wrap that up before I got on with this. My January exams are done, looking forward to coursework deadlines over the next few months. Yay. On the bright side: I have 3 months off in the summer, I can work on this lots and lots :)_

/\

**It was evening; the hospital wing was quiet, the windows curtained, the lamps lit. Ron's was the only occupied bed. Harry, Hermione and Ginny were sitting around him. **Fred and George had arrived soon after as well as Mr and Mrs Weasley, the latter were in Dumbledore's office.

"**So the poison was in the drink?" Fred said quietly.**

Harry nodded, as did Hermione.

"**Would he have been able to slip something into Ron's glass without you seeing?"**

"**Probably," said Harry, "but why would Slughorn want to poison Ron?"**

"**No idea." said Fred, frowning.**

Fred looked at his brother concerned. Ron had not even stirred, even though he was surrounded by people talking in hushed tones.

"I think it was someone else who planted it in Slughorn's office." George said. Hermione agreed, although she didn't say anything.

"Yes, maybe they imperiused him into trying to poison someone?" Ginny suggested.

"Slughorn mentioned that he was planning on giving the bottle to Dumbledore! Maybe he was the target?" Harry said, with a sudden moment of realisation.

"'Arry?" **croaked Ron unexpectedly from between them. They all fell silent, watching him anxiously, but after muttering incomprehensibly for a moment he merely started snoring.**

They watched him for a few minutes, Ron began muttering in his sleep.

"'Arry … Er-my-nee … Mum …"

**The dormitory doors flew open, making them all jump; **Lavender Brown rushed towards them, squealing.

"Oh, Ronnie! Won-Won? Are you okay? What happened? Won-Won?"

"He's asleep." Ginny said acidly.

Lavender scowled. She pushed George and Harry out of the way, who were sitting on the left side of Ron's bed, and bent down next to his face.

"Won-Won, can you hear me?" she said into his ear.

"Ginny just said, he's _asleep_." Hermione said, breaking her silence, everyone looked at her. Lavender looked across the bed at her with disgust, before noticing the placement of Hermione's hand, which was holding Ron's.

"_Slut._" she hissed.

"I'm only holding his hand!" Hermione said, shocked.

"Er-my-nee." Ron mumbled.

Lavender looked flabbergasted at Ron, for once she was lost for words.

Madam Pomfrey's head peered from her office door.

"No more than five visitors at a time!" she barked. "Miss Brown, I'm going to have to ask you to leave, family only."

"But I'm his girlfriend!" Lavender whined. "Harry isn't family! _She_ isn't family!"

"Miss Brown, please leave. They were her first." Madam Pomfrey glared, although her voice remained calm. "I shall be asking them to leave too once Mr Weasley's parents return from Professor Dumbledore."

Lavender stomped out of the Hospital Wing, her long curly hair flailing behind her. She slammed the door shut.

"Thank Merlin she's gone." Ron muttered, before resuming his loud snores.

/\

Hermione was hurrying back to Gryffindor Tower; she had just spent the afternoon in the library finishing up on a Defence Against the Dark Arts essay for Snape. After a week and a half in the Hospital Wing, Ron had been let out and she was kind of excited to see him. Lavender made it difficult for her to visit him while he was staying there, rounding up four other people every time she could possibly visit Ron, so that Hermione couldn't. Lavender had also spent the last week giving Hermione dirty looks every time their eyes met.

Hermione was half way down a corridor on the sixth floor when she was pulled into a classroom by Draco.

"Hermione, it's been weeks. Why are you still not talking?" he said at once.

"Huh?" Hermione looked up at him, still confused as to where she was. "Draco? What do you want?"

"We haven't talked in forever, Hermione."

"As I told you, if you actually turned up to lessons we wouldn't have that problem." Hermione replied with a hint of sourness in her tone.

Draco fell into a chair, his head in his hands.

"I said I'm sorry."

"You were busy?"

"Yes." Draco said calmly.

"With what? Handing out cursed necklaces? Trying to poison my best friend?" Hermione asked, folding her arms.

Draco's head snapped up.

"What?"

"Didn't you know the reason why Ron's been in the Hospital Wing? Poisoned."

Draco paled, his hands were clasped together and his knuckles were white.

"How?"

"I was hoping for you to tell me." Hermione raised her eyebrows. She knew she could catch him out. "Slughorn wouldn't poison Ron, and the mead wasn't even meant for him. It was meant for Dumbledore."

"It's the first I've heard of it." Draco said, standing back up.

He walked towards her and pulled her arms away from her body, holding her hands loosely. She looked up at him.

"I'll try and come to my lessons, I promise." he said sincerely.

Hermione tried to smile as best as she could, still unsure whether to believe him.

Draco leant forward and kissed her sweetly, letting go of one of her hands so that he could cup her face.

"I need to get back to my common room." Hermione said quietly, pulling her lips away from his.

Draco nodded and picked up his bag, slinging it over his shoulder. They left the room to find that the corridor was no longer empty. The final lesson of the day had ended and Gryffindors and Ravenclaws were making their way upstairs to their towers.

"Granger, Malfoy."

Jeremy Stretton noticed them as he walked past, smiling at both of them.

Hermione smiled back, while Draco studied the expressions of Jeremy and the other Ravenclaw sixth-years he was with: Su Li and Anthony Goldstein. To Hermione they all seemed perfectly normal and friendly.

"I'll see you later." Draco said quickly, hurrying down the corridor without looking at Hermione again.

She sighed and left in the opposite direction.

On reaching the Gryffindor common room, Hermione found Ron and Harry sat on one of the threadbare sofas by the fire.

"Hermione!" Ron grinned as he saw her come in "Hello!"

"I see that you're better." Hermione laughed.

"Much better" Ron said, running a hand through his hair.

"I'm just going to put my bag upstairs and then we can go down to dinner, okay?" Hermione walked towards the girls' dormitory staircase.

"Hermione wait," Ron said, following her across the room. Hermione was now on the second step of the staircase; she turned to look at him.

"Yes?"

Ron looked thoughtful for a moment, like he was wondering what to say. He looked down at his shoes for a moment, before looking back up again at her.

"Why didn't you come and visit me in the Hospital Wing?" he asked quietly.

"I did," Hermione smiled, trying to stop herself from giggle at Ron's awkwardness. "I came with you to the Hospital Wing straight away from Slughorn's office. I tried to visit again after you woke up, but your girlfriend made it rather difficult for me to reach you."

Ron's ears turned red.

"She came to see me every day," he said. "She wouldn't leave me alone!"

He looked over his shoulder, surveying who was in the common room. Lavender had just come through the portrait hole, followed by Seamus and Pavarti.

"I'll let you in on a secret," Ron kept his voice low, leaning forward.

Hermione suddenly felt the staircase move each step flattening to form a slide. She slipped down the bottom two steps and was caught by Ron at the bottom.

"Sorry, I wasn't thinking, I put my foot on the bottom step," he said, Hermione still in his arms. "Are you okay?"

Hermione laughed and nodded.

"Bitch!"

They both jumped and looked over to see Lavender carving a warpath through the crowd of people in the common room, marching towards them. Ron let go of Hermione and they both stood up straight.

"Uh-oh." Hermione said quietly, trying to avoid eye-contact with Lavender.

"Maybe she didn't see?" Ron muttered, trying not to move his lips.

"Stay away from my boyfriend!" Lavender screeched.

"Nope, she saw."

/\

Hermione was walking up the boy's dormitory staircase, trying to find Harry. She was going to ask Ron whether he'd seen him, but Ron was out in the grounds with Lavender. Lavender had stuck to him like a limpet ever since he had caught Hermione when she fell. Hermione thought it was better if she avoided causing any more hassle. So she had asked Neville whether he'd seen Harry, who told her that he was in his room.

Hermione slowed as she reached the floor where the sixth-years' room was. Harry's voice came from behind the closed door.

"Kreacher?"

Hermione heard a very loud _crack_ and the sounds of scuffling and squeaks filling the silence. She edged towards the door, knelt down and peered through the keyhole.

**Two house-elves were rolling around on the floor in the middle of the dormitory, one wearing a shrunken maroon jumper and several woolly hats, the other, a filthy old rag strung around his hips like a loincloth.**

"**Kreacher will not insult Harry Potter in front of Dobby, no he won't, or Dobby will shut Kreacher's mouth for him!" cried Dobby in a high-pitched voice.**

"Dobby?" Harry was stood by one of the beds, looking slightly confused. He pointed his wand in Hermione's direction, at the door. "_Colloportus!_"

The door was now locked, but Hermione could still see and hear what was going on.

"**Kreacher will say what he likes about his master, oh yes, and what a master he is, filthy friend of Mudbloods, oh, what would poor Kreacher's mistress say -?"**

**Exactly what Kreacher's mistress would have said they did not find out, for at that moment Dobby sank his knobbly little fist into Kreacher's mouth and knocked out about half of his teeth.**

Harry leapt forward and grabbed Kreacher. He pulled him up off the floor and away from Dobby.

"**Right – I'm forbidding you to fight with each other! Well, Kreacher, you're forbidden to fight Dobby. Dobby, I know I'm not allowed to give you orders -"**

"**Dobby is a free house-elf and he can obey anyone he likes and Dobby will do whatever Harry Potter wants him to do!" said Dobby, tears now streaming down his shrivelled little face on to his jumper.**

Harry nodded, and put Kreacher down.

Kreacher glanced over and Dobby and narrowed his eyes, before looking back up at Harry.

"**Master called me?" croaked Kreacher, sinking into a bow.**

"I did." Harry said. "I've got a job for you."

"**Kreacher will do whatever Master wants," said Kreacher, sinking so low that his lips almost touched his gnarled toes, "because Kreacher has no choice, but Kreacher is ashamed to have such a Master, yes -"**

"**Dobby will do it, Harry Potter!" squeaked Dobby, his tennis-ball-sized eyes still swimming with tears. "Dobby would be honoured to help Harry Potter!"**

"**Come to think of it, it would be good to have both of you," said Harry. "OK, then … I want you to tail Draco Malfoy."**

Hermione's heart jumped and she sunk back away from the door, hand clasped over her mouth. She could still hear the sound of Harry's voice coming from the other side of the door.

"I want to know where he's going, who he's meeting and what he's doing. I want you to follow him around the clock."

Hermione's hands were now covering the whole of her face, her eyes screwed shut.

"Yes, Harry Potter, I will!" she heard Dobby squeal.

"**Master wants me to follow the youngest of the Malfoys?" croaked Kreacher. "Master wants me to spy upon the pure-blooded great-nephew of my old mistress?"**

"**That's the one," said Harry. "And you're forbidden to tip him off, Kreacher, or to show him what you're up to, or to talk to him at all, or to write him messages, or … or to contact him in any way. Got it?"**

Hermione heard another _crack_ as the two house-elves disapparated. She stood up and began to walk back down the staircase to the common room. She heard the sound of Harry unlocking the dormitory door and turned around so it would seem that she was walking up the stairs.

"Hi, Hermione," Harry smiled, shutting the dormitory door behind him. "I was just putting my bag in my room."

"Neville said you were." Hermione smiled back, tentatively.

They moved out of the way to let two seventh-year boys up to their dormitory, before descending the staircase together.

/\

_So I remembered how the girl's dormitory staircases turned into a slide if a boy stood on one of the steps, so wanted to incorporate it into my story. Hope it worked well._

_So erm yeah, I still can't believe the number of people who read this story, thanks to every one of you! x_


	24. Chapter 24

_Oh hai, I see you've managed to reach Chapter 24. Well done you._

_I again have no excuses, apart from lack of inspiration. I feel really bad because I got a message on Tumblr asking how long it'd be until the next chapter, and I said two days and it's been over three weeks. I think due to my final exams and stuff, I may not update again until early July. I'm sorry, but getting into university is more important than writing at the moment. Sorry :(  
Have had to re-read about 90% of this story, keep forgetting what I've written. Anyway, on we go!  
_

/\

Within a couple of days of Ron leaving the hospital wing, things seemed to return to normal. Draco was attending all of his classes (that Hermione knew of) and Ron seemed better than ever. His appetite didn't seem to have been affected by the ordeal, in fact it seemed as though he was more interested in food than ever before – which Hermione didn't think was possible. Ron hurried Harry and Hermione out of the common room so that they could get to the Great Hall for dinner. Hermione noted that he made this decision right after Seamus told him that Lavender wanted to speak with him in private. Ron pushed them out of the portrait hole and lead them at a brisk pace down the corridor.

"So, Ginny and Dean have been arguing." Hermione said to Harry, nonchalantly.

She studied Harry's expression as she spoke, ignoring the smug look on Ron's face.

"**What did they row about?" Harry asked, trying to sound casual as they turned into a seventh-floor corridor which was deserted but for a very small girl who had been examining a tapestry of trolls in tutus. She looked terrified at the sight of the approaching sixth-years and dropped the heavy brass scales she was carrying.**

"**It's all right!" said Hermione kindly, hurrying forwards to help her. "here ..." She tapped the broken scales with her wand and said "Reparo."**

**The girl did not say thank you, but remained rooted to the spot as they passed and watched them out of sight; Ron glanced back at her.**

"**I swear they're getting smaller" he said.**

"**Never mind her," said Harry, a little impatiently. "What did Ginny and Dean row about, Hermione?"**

Hermione couldn't help but smile at Harry's eagerness...

/\

After dinner they returned to the common room; Ron and Harry chatting away about Quidditch, Hermione trying to keep up. As they climbed through the portrait hole they saw Ginny sat in an armchair, her arms folded, glaring at them. Ron caught Harry's eye and shrugged, before carrying on the conversation.

"So, from what I've heard, Cho Chang won't be playing any time soon."

"That's good," said Hermione, as the three of them sat down on one of the sofas. She tried to ignore Ginny, who was frowning as she looked back at her. Hermione didn't understand what was wrong with her, was it to do with Dean? She looked back at Ron an resumed the conversation.

"If Cho's out, then Ravenclaw's only alternative is to play that fourth-year guy, who doesn't seem very good."

Harry nodded.

"**Oh, don't start acting as though you understand Quidditch," snapped Ginny, "you'll only embarrass yourself."**

Hermione turned to look at her.

"Excuse me?"

Ginny raised her eyebrows, as though she was waiting for Hermione to say something else. Hermione had no idea what this something else was meant to be.

There was an awkward pause. **Ron looked nervously at Harry, then snatched up a book at random and hid behind it.**

"Well then," Hermione said. "I'm going to go upstairs, leave you three to talk about _Quidditch_."

She made for the stairs and began to climb them slowly. She hadn't even made it up to the first-years' dormitory before she heard hurried steps behind her.

"Hermione?"

Hermione whirled around glared back at Ginny.

"_Yes_?"

"We're best friends, right?" asked Ginny, her expression suddenly changing as she looked up at her.

"I was under the impression that that was the case, although that little episode a moment ago seems to contradict it." Hermione said, sternly.

"Best friends tell each other everything," Ginny stated, ignoring her. "But there's something that you haven't told me, _is there_?"

Hermione's heart skipped a beat. _She knew_.

"I … I don't know what you're talking about." mumbled Hermione.

"Liar."

Hermione sighed and grabbed Ginny's hand.

"Not here." she muttered, pulling Ginny past various Gryffindor girls' dormitories. As they reached the sixth floor, Hermione quickly peered around the dormitory door and was relieved to find that none of the other sixth-year girls were inside. She shut the door behind them as Ginny walked in and sat down on Lavender's bed.

"How did you find out?"

"Luna and Melinda said they overheard some sixth-years in their common room talking about your Arithmancy class."

The faces of Mandy Brocklehurst, Su Li, Anthony Goldstein and Jeremy Stretton immediately appeared in her mind's eye. She knew that they were talking about her and Draco the moment that Mandy and Jeremy turned around to look at her in that lesson a few weeks ago.

"They said that you and Malfoy seemed awfully close," Ginny continued, "and apparently they also said something about you two coming out of an empty classroom the other day."

"That wasn't what it looked like!" Hermione said suddenly.

"So it's true?"

"What's true?"

"That you're back together with Draco Malfoy."

"Sort of." said Hermione in a tiny voice.

"I knew it!" Ginny said loudly, making Hermione jump. "I knew that all that sneaking off you did was because of a boy!"

"You're not mad?"

"I was, but only because you didn't tell me." Ginny smiled.

"You don't care that it's Draco?" Hermione asked tentatively.

"Not really, he seems an all right guy to be honest. Don't really know him that well, though." Ginny replied. "It wasn't entirely his fault that you broke up the first time, so he's okay in my books."

"Please, please promise that you won't tell Harry and Ron though?" Hermione begged. "They don't know, and I'm not sure whether I want to tell them yet."

"My lips are sealed."

Ginny traced her fingers across her lips and threw away the key.

/\

"You're being followed."

Draco looked at Hermione as she murmured into his ear. She frowned slightly, seeming to look over his shoulder as she spoke.

"What?"

"I have to go." Hermione said, lightly touching his shoulder before walking away down the corridor.

"Wait," said Draco, not entirely sure what to think. "Hermione!"

He shouted down the corridor after her, but she didn't look back.

"Hermione!"

He started walking after her, but she disappeared into a crowd of people.

"Hermione?" he mumbled, running a hand through his hair as he stood, hopelessly alone.

/\

"Ron, what quill have you been using?"

The trio were sat at a table in an otherwise empty common room one Tuesday morning, working on Defense Against the Dark Arts essays in a free period before their lesson that afternoon. Hermione was checking over Ron's work, a little confused.

"Why're you asking?" replied Ron, not looking up from the newspaper he was reading.

"**Because we were asked how we'd deal with Dementors, not 'Dugbogs', and I don't remember you changing your name to 'Roonil Wazlib' either."**

Ron picked up the quill on the table in front of him, the one that he'd been using to write the essay, and studied it carefully.

"**It's one of Fred and George's Spell-Checking ones … but I think the charm must be wearing off ..."**

"**It's okay, we can fix it," said Hermione, **taking out her wand and studying the page carefully.

_Crack._

Hermione let out a little shriek; Ron knocked over a bottle of ink all over the Daily Prophet and Harry said "Kreacher!"

**The house-elf bowed low and addressed his own gnarled toes.**

"**Master said he wanted regular reports on what the Malfoy boy is doing so Kreacher has come to give -"**

_**Crack.**_

**Dobby appeared alongside Kreacher, his tea-cosy hat askew.**

"**Dobby has been helping too, Harry Potter" he squeaked, casting Kreacher a resentful look. "And Kreacher ought to tell Dobby when he is coming to see Harry Potter so they can make their reports together!"**

"What is this?" asked Hermione, attempting to look shocked by the sudden appearances. She hadn't told Harry that she knew anything about his orders to the two house-elves. "What's going on, Harry?"

"**Well … they've been following Malfoy for me," he said.**

"**Night and day," croaked Kreacher.**

"**Dobby has not slept for a week, Harry Potter!" said Dobby proudly, swaying where he stood.**

Hermione was shocked.

"But you must sleep, Dobby! Harry, don't tell me that you told them to -"

"**No, of course I didn't," said Harry quickly. "Dobby, you can sleep, all right? But have either of you found out anything?"**

Hermione held her breath as she waited for the elves to speak.

"**Master Malfoy eats in the Great Hall, he sleeps in a dormitory in the dungeons, he attends his classes in a variety of -"**

"**Harry Potter, sir," squeaked Dobby, his great orblike eyes shining, "the Malfoy boy is breaking no rules that Dobby can discover, but he is still keen to avoid detection. He has been making regular visits to the seventh floor with a variety of students with a variety of other students, who keep watch for him while he enters -"**

"**The Room of Requirement!" said Harry, smacking himself hard on the forehead with his hand.**

Hermione let out a sigh of relief that neither Kreacher or Dobby had caught her talking to Draco, something that she had been avoiding since she found out that they were tailing him.

"That's where he's ..." Harry stood up and had rushed up the dormitory staircase before Hermione could even hear the end of the sentence. With another _crack_, the house-elves were gone.

"So," said Ron, pushing pieces of parchment towards her, "what about these spelling mistakes then?"

/\

Hermione called in at the Prefect's bathroom on the fifth floor, on her way back to the Gryffindor Common room after Ancient Runes, three days later. She was alone, but as she washed her hands in one of the sinks she heard a familiar strange noise coming from a stall behind her.

"Myrtle?" she asked tentatively.

**The ghost of a girl had risen out of the toilet and was now floating in midair, staring at her through thick, white, round glasses.**

"**Oh," she said glumly. "It's you."**

"Who were you expecting?" said Hermione, looking at her in the mirror.

"**Nobody," said Myrtle, picking moodily at a spot on her chin. "He said he'd come back and see me, but he hasn't."**

"Who -"

"**But I thought he liked me" she said plaintively, **ignoring Hermione, **"Maybe if you left, he'd come back again … we had lots in common … I'm sure he felt it ..."**

**And she looked hopefully towards the door.**

"When you said you had lots in common," said Hermione, rather amused, "Do you mean he lives in an S-bend too?"

"**No," said Myrtle defiantly, her voice echoing loudly around the tiled walls. "I mean he's sensitive, people bully him, too, and he feels lonely and hasn't got anybody to talk to, and he's afraid to show his true feelings and cry!"**

Hermione wondered who Myrtle was talking about. This was the prefects bathroom, only a small handful of students had access to it.

"Well, that sounds like someone else's business, not mine, so I'll be off..." Hermione said, feeling a little bit uncomfortable. She picked up her bag and began to walk towards the door.

"I mean, even his girlfriend doesn't talk to him. He says she avoids him all the time and he doesn't know why. She says he's being _followed_."

Hermione stopped, mouth agape. She had realised who Myrtle was talking about. She turned to look at her, but the ghost had already returned to the toilet from whence she came and disappeared.

Hermione decided to walk past the Room of Requirement after she left the bathroom, wondering whether she's bump into Draco. As she reached the corridor she found that it was empty, so slowly walked and looked out of the window. A few moments later at the other end of the hallway, two people came around the corner, one with dark hair and one with pale blond.

"Wait! Blaise, I've changed my mind, go back to the common room."

"But -"

"Look -"

Hermione turned her head to see Draco gesturing towards her, obviously he'd noticed that she was there.

"Oh, okay," said Blaise, turning back around the corner.

There was silence for a few moments, Draco and Hermione both looking at each other silently.

Draco came over to join her by the window. He sighed and looked out at the lake below them.

"I'm being followed?"

"Yes, Harry has Kreacher and Dobby -" Hermione fell silent as Draco's hand took her own. Neither of them looked at each other for a moment, both looking out at the scenery. Draco let go of her hand and turned to look at her.

"Is that why you've been avoiding me?" His eyes glistening with sadness.

"Oh Draco, I'm sorry!"

Hermione pulled him tight into a hug, her arms gripping fiercely at his body as her head nestled in his shoulder. Draco wrapped his arms around her and she pulled her head up to kiss him, not caring that there could be a house-elf hiding behind one of the suits of armour nearby...

/\

_Well that took me a while to write! Hope it's okay. I haven't left it on too much of a cliff hanger, so waiting won't be too painful.  
See you all soon, parting is such sweet sorrow :(_


	25. Chapter 25

_I'm back baby! Exams are gone, going to try and get this story finished :)_

/\

**A few days before the match against Ravenclaw, Harry sound himself walking down to dinner alone from the common room, Ron having rushed off into a nearby bathroom to throw up yet again (stricken with nerves), **and Hermione had not yet returned from Ancient Runes. Harry suspected that she would already be in the Great Hall.** More out of habit than anything, Harry made his usual detour along the seventh-floor corridor, checking the Marauder's Map as he went. For a moment he could not find Malfoy anywhere, and assumed he must indeed be inside the Room of Requirement again, but then he saw Malfoy's tiny, labelled dot placed **just around the corner from where he was standing. Malfoy was not alone.

"Oh Draco, I'm sorry!"

Harry didn't need the Marauder's Map to tell him whose voice it was. He backed against the wall and slowly looked around the corner.

Malfoy and Hermione were in a tight embrace by the window. Harry's face burned with rage as he watched them kiss. This changed everything.

/\

Hermione smiled to herself as she walked down to the Great Hall for dinner, her heart fluttering at the thought of kissing Draco.

It'd be okay, the house-elves were probably too busy preparing dinner to spend time following students around. It'd be fine.

"You look happy," Ginny said as Hermione took a seat opposite her at the Gryffindor table. "care to share?"

Hermione raised her eyebrows and nodded over to Ron, who was sat next to Ginny. Ron was staring into a plate of sausages and mashed potato, looking unsure whether to eat or not.

"Relax, Ron." Ginny smiled, rubbing his back. "It'll be fine. You've been playing really well this year."

Ron grunted and picked up his knife and fork, spearing one of his sausages diligently.

"Where's Harry?" Hermione asked, scanning her eyes down the Gryffindor table, looking for his face.

"I'm not sure, last time I saw him he was in the common room." said Ginny.

Hermione shrugged and helped herself to some food.

But by the time the three of them had finished, Harry had still not turned up.

"Maybe we should bring him something." Hermione mused, taking a slice of treacle tart and wrapping it up in a napkin.

The three of them made walked up the main staircase, deciding that Harry was probably still in the common room.

They reached a corridor on the sixth floor and were greeted with the sound of shouts and clatters.

"THE ORDER HAS PROTECTED YOU, AND THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY US?"

They froze, wondering from which room the sound was coming from.

"I COVERED FOR YOU, TOLD EVERYONE THAT YOU COULD BE TRUSTED. I ONLY ASKED ONE THING FROM YOU!"

There was another clatter and Hermione looked down the corridor to see water pouring from the doorway of the boys' bathroom.

"BUT I LOVE HER!"

Hermione's heart skipped a beat. She realised who the voices belonged to and started rushing down the corridor.

"Ginny, you didn't tell anyone, did you?" she called over her shoulder.

"No!"

Ron looked confused as he followed the two girls to the source of the commotion.

"What's going on."

"I TOLD YOU TO LEAVE HERMIONE OUT OF THIS!" Harry bellowed.

"Hermione," Ron said in a low voice, as he caught up with her. "What's going on?"

But Hermione was stood motionless, ankle deep in water, staring at the scene before her.

"**No! No! Stop it!" squealed Moaning Myrtle, her voice echoing loudly around the tiled room. "Stop! STOP!"**

**There was a loud bang and the bin behind Harry exploded; Harry attempted a Leg-Locker Curse that backfired off the wall behind Malfoy's ear and smashed the cistern beneath Moaning Myrtle, who screamed loudly; water poured everywhere and Harry slipped over as Malfoy, his face contorted, cried, "Cruci-"**

"**SECTUMSEMPRA!" bellowed Harry from the floor, waving his wand wildly.**

**Blood spurted from Malfoy's face and chest as though he had been slashed with an invisible sword. He staggered backwards and collapsed on to the waterlogged floor with a great splash, his wand falling from his limp right hand.**

"**No -" gasped Harry.**

Hermione's body regained feeling and she ran to Draco's side. _There must be something to stop the bleeding, a counter-curse, a charm..._

"**No – I didn't -"**

**Harry did not know what he was saying; he fell to his knees beside Hermione and Malfoy, the latter was shaking uncontrollably in a pool of his own blood. Moaning Myrtle let out a deafening scream.**

"**MURDER! MURDER IN THE BATHROOM! MURDER!"**

Hermione's hand covered her mouth in horror, she sobbed loudly and fell backwards. Ginny rushed forwards to stop Hermione from hitting her head on one of the sinks, cradling her limp body. Harry's eyes stared in awe, while Ron was still in shock, standing in the doorway. Within seconds someone charged past him, his face livid. **Pushing Harry roughly aside, Snape knelt over Malfoy, drew his wand and traced it over the deep wounds Harry's curse had made, muttering an incantation that sounded almost like song. The flow of blood seemed to ease; Snape wiped the residue from Malfoy's face and repeated his spell. Now the wounds seemed to be knitting.**

Snape paused for a moment, but did not look up.

"Weasley," he said, to neither sibling in particular, "Take Granger to your common room."

"But Professor -" Ginny said, looking down at Hermione as tears rushed down her face. Her eyes had glazed over, looking in the direction of Draco's now motionless body.

"Or the hospital wing, I don't care." Snape said sharply as he inspected one of the cuts on Malfoy's neck. Ron helped his sister lift Hermione up, and they took her out of the bathroom.

**Harry was still watching, horrified by what he had done, barely aware that he too was soaked in blood and water. Moaning Myrtle was still sobbing and wailing overhead. **

**When Snape had performed his counter-curse for the third time, he half-lifted Malfoy into a standing position.**

"**You need the hospital wing. There may be a certain amount of scarring, but if you take dittany immediately we might avoid even that … come ..."**

**He supported Malfoy across the bathroom, turning at the door to say in a voice of cold fury, "And you, Potter … you wait here for me."**

/\

Hermione lay in bed, staring blankly up at the ceiling. Ron and Ginny had brought her back to Gryffindor Tower, the latter taking her up to the dormitories. Ginny had whispered "he'll be okay" before leaving Hermione alone in the sixth-years' room.

Hermione knew things between her and Draco had gone too far. It clearly wasn't safe to be together. Or was it? Draco was being protected by the Order, as was she, maybe they could … no, after what just happened, it would be impossible. Why would Harry keep this from her? Why would Draco?

Hermione's mind raced for what seemed like hours, until eventually Ginny returned.

"Draco's alive and in the hospital wing," Ginny said. "Harry's been banned from playing Quidditch."

"Good." Hermione said, not looking at her.

"Hermione -"

Hermione sat up briefly and drew the curtains around her bed. She waited until she heard Ginny's footsteps leave the room before she poked her head out to pick up a book from her bedside table. Reading would distract her.

/\

The morning after Hermione was quiet at breakfast, only speaking when Ron asked her whether she wanted any pumpkin juice. Harry only spoke when he asked Ginny to pass the toast. The two Weasley siblings noticed the obvious tension between their two friends, but were unsure what to do. Ron tried to remain cheerful through Herbology, Harry and Hermione quietly got on with what they were supposed to be doing without a word to each other.

Hermione couldn't help but notice the absence of Draco when she sat down in Arithmancy and the seat next to her was vacant. As the Ravenclaws came into the classroom, their conversations stopped at the sight of her. When Blaise and Theodore turned up, they didn't acknowledge Hermione at all. Not like they usually did, anyway.

When the lesson ended, she went down to the hospital wing. She was initially unsure whether it was right for her to visit Draco, but in the end convinced herself that she would be able to find out more about what was going on if she did.

Draco was in the last bed on the right-hand side of the room, lying on his side away from her. He wasn't wearing his Slytherin jumper any more but was still wearing his long-sleeved white shirt, which had bloodstains all over it. Hermione sat down in the empty chair next to his bed.

"Draco?"

Draco stirred and slowly rolled over to look at her sleepily.

"Oh, hello," he murmured with a small smile. "I was worried that it was Pansy, _again._"

"Again?"

"Again." Draco said, rearranging his pillows so he could prop himself up. "She's been in three times today already, and she came last night. Won't give me a moment's peace."

Hermione smiled and took his hand.

"I'm sorry."

"Hermione, you need to stop saying that all the time. It's not your fault." Draco squeezed her hand.

"It's Harry's for getting you into this mess." Hermione sighed.

"I think I had it coming to me, really," Draco said. "It's my fault." His brow furrowed momentarily. "Don't tell Potter I said that."

"I won't," Hermione laughed.

They were quiet for a few minutes, before Hermione spoke again.

"So do you want to tell me what's going on?"

Draco's face paled slightly and he looked worried. He looked over her shoulder in order to survey the room. They were alone, Madam Pomfrey was in her office and the hospital wing had no other patients.

"The Order of the Phoenix is protecting me." he whispered.

"I gathered that," Hermione said. "Protecting you from who?"

"I have instructions that I _need_ to carry out, but I didn't -"

"Instructions from who?"

Draco didn't say anything. Hermione let go of his hand and slowly moved her own past his wrist and up his forearm. Draco hastily jerked his arm away from her touch.

"Sorry." he muttered.

Hermione folded her arms.

"I'll be out in time to watch the Quidditch tomorrow." Draco smiled timidly, changing the subject quickly. "Out in time to watch your team _loose_ to Ravenclaw."

There was a small smile on Hermione's face. But she wasn't looking Draco in the eye, more looking at her own knees.

"I fear we will loose, we have no seeker. Snape's given Harry detention on every Saturday morning for the foreseeable future."

"Brilliant." Draco said, rubbing his hands together with glee. His grin broadened when Hermione giggled, her eyes finally moving from her lap to his face.

/\

On the morning of the Quidditch match, Hermione and Harry were left alone at the Gryffindor table at breakfast, Ron and Ginny having left to get ready for the game.

"I'm sorry that you can't play today, Harry." Hermione said in a quiet voice, stirring her cereal slowly with a spoon.

"It's okay, I deserve it." Harry replied, spreading marmalade onto his toast without looking at her. "I wonder how Malfoy's holding up."

"Better, he left the hospital wing this morning."

Harry looked up at her questioningly as she nodded over to the Slytherin table. Draco was sat with his friends, Pansy Parkinson glaring in their direction.

"Everyone hates me." Harry said glumly.

"Harry," Hermione said, "The Slytherins have always hated you."

"Yes, but not just them. _Everyone_ hates me."

Harry looked down the table to see Lavender, Seamus and Dean sitting a considerable distance away from them. The three looked at Harry and Hermione briefly, before continuing their conversation as if they never had.

"Give them time." Hermione said.

"I bet Ron and Ginny hate me too." Harry mumbled.

"Of course they don't, they _love_ you."

Harry's had jerked up from his plate. Hermione simply nodded knowingly, her lips forming half a smile.

And then they returned to silence. Neville arrived and dropped into a seat next to Harry, seemingly oblivious to yesterday's events. When they finished eating, Harry left to begin his detention with Snape, whilst Hermione and Neville walked down to the Quidditch pitch together.

/\

At half past one, Snape finally let Harry leave his office. As he reached the entrance hall, Harry hesitated at the door of the Great Hall before running up the marble staircase. **Whether Gryffindor had won or lost, the team usually celebrated or commiserated in their own common room.**

"_**Quid agis**_**?" he said tentatively to the Fat Lady, wondering what he would find inside.**

**Her expression was unreadable as she replied, "You'll see."**

**And she swung forwards.**

**A roar of celebration erupted from the hole behind her. Harry gaped as people began to scream at the sight of him; several hands pulled him into the room.**

"**We won!" yelled Ron, bounding into sight and brandishing a silver cup at Harry. "We won! Four hundred and fifty to a hundred and forty! We won!"**

**Harry looked around; there was Ginny running towards him; she had a hard, blazing look in her face as she threw her arms around him. And without thinking, without planning it, without worrying about the fact that fifty people were watching, Harry kissed her.**

**After several moments – or it might have been half an hour – or possibly several sunlit days – they broke apart. The room had gone quiet. Then several people wolf-whistled and there was an outbreak of nervous giggling. Harry looked over the top of Ginny's head to see Dean Thomas holding a shattered glass in his hand and Romilda Vane ****looking as though she might throw something. Hermione was beaming, but Harry's eyes sought Ron. At last he found him, still clutching the cup and wearing an expression appropriate to having been clubbed over the head. For a fraction of a second they looked at each other, then Ron gave a tiny jerk of the head that Harry understood to mean, "Well – if you must."**

/\

_I found this chapter to be a bit of a rollercoaster of emotions, I don't know about you. Wanted it to end on a more happy note, hence the huge chunk of quoted text._

_I'm getting closer to the end of Half Blood Prince, it's quite exciting but also sad at the same time..._


	26. Chapter 26

_Speedy update? Quite surprised I got this out quickly, it was barely planned at all until yesterday. Can you tell that I have no life at the moment?_

/\

"Get in there, Ginny!" Hermione smirked, sitting down next to her friend at breakfast the next morning. Ron and Harry weren't up yet, so it gave the two a chance to talk.

Ginny blushed, stifling back a giggle.

"_Finally_." Hermione smiled, pouring herself a drink, "I thought he'd never pluck up the courage to do it."

"You knew?" Ginny asked. Hermione nodded. "I thought you two weren't talking?"

"We shared a brief conversation yesterday." Hermione shrugged.

Hermione became lost in her thoughts as she ate, wondering about Draco and Harry. Thanks to Gryffindor's Quidditch success, she and Harry had seemed to have forgotten their differences. But that meant Hermione had no idea where she stood. She still didn't understand what was going on either, neither of the two boys seemed to want to tell her anything. She wondered if they'd ever give in and provide her with a bit of insight, both Harry and Draco were playing their cards close to their chests.

"Hermione? Can I borrow you for a second?"

Hermione turned around to see Draco stood behind her. She nodded and stood up.

"It'll only take a moment or two." Draco reassured Ginny, before taking Hermione's hand and leading her out of the Great Hall. Hermione's face burned as she suspected that several pairs of eyes were staring at her and Draco, especially at their interlinked hands.

Draco took her through the entrance hall, through the front doors, and out into the grounds.

"It's quieter out here," he explained.

"What's up?" Hermione asked.

"Harry's right." Draco said quickly.

"Right about what?"

"I can't let you caught up in this."

"How can I get caught up in it if I don't even know what it is?"

"I want to protect you." Draco sighed

"Protect me from what?" Hermione shouted, she was getting annoyed now. She wasn't a damsel in distress, she could look after herself.

"Protect you from getting hurt," Draco said, a sadness in his eyes. "Hermione -"

He kissed her. She noticed how it was different from normal: more urgent, more rough. She could feel his hands tightly gripping at the top of her arms, ensuring that their bodies stayed apart. She could feel his jaw remaining still and his eyelids scrunched tightly together. After a couple of seconds, he jerked away.

"Please, _please_, let me do this. I have to do this. Stay with Potter, he can protect you better than I can. I don't think the Order will want to help me much longer, stay with your friends."

Hermione wasn't sure what to say. She just stared at him. They stood there for a moment or two, not speaking, before she turned on her heel and returned to the Great Hall.

"What did he want?" Ginny asked. Ron and Harry had arrived while she was gone, and both looked up at her questioningly.

"I think," Hermione gulped. "I think he tried to break up with me."

/\

It was just like any other Wednesday evening in the common room. Hermione, Harry, Ron and Ginny were all sat around the fire, in a busy common room. Ginny was perched on the back of the armchair that Harry was sat in, stroking his hair. Ron and Hermione sat on a sofa, Ron reading the paper while Hermione rested her feet on his lap, her eyes gently closed.

Hermione was still in some sort of shock, she still hadn't quite acknowledged the conversation between her and Draco on Sunday morning. The only thing that made reality sink in was that he no longer attended Arithmancy. Or many other lessons for that matter. It was like he'd vanished from Hogwarts.

Her eyes flickered open as someone walked towards the four of them. It was Jimmy Peakes, who was holding out a scroll of parchment.

"**Thanks, Jimmy … hey, it's from Dumbledore!" said Harry excitedly, unrolling the parchment and scanning it. "He wants me to go to his office as quick as I can!"**

"I'll come with you, I've got a letter to send to Dad." Ron said, folding up the Daily Prophet. Hermione took her feet of his lap and he stood up. "C'mon Hermione, you look like you need some exercise."

Ron took Hermione's hand and pulled her to her feet. Maybe she did need some exercise, she'd been sat on the sofa ever since they had returned to the common room after dinner.

"I've got some Transfiguration to work on." Ginny sighed, kissing Harry's temple before hopping off the edge of his chair "I'll see you all later."

Ron dashed up to the boy's dormitories and swiftly returned with his letter, before the three of them climbed out of the portrait hole. **With only fifteen minutes left until curfew, most people had already returned to their common rooms.** They hurried along the seventh floor as fast as they could. But then they heard a scream and a crash.

"**How – _dare_ – you – aaaaargh!"**

**The noise was coming from a corridor nearby; they sprinted towards it, wands at the ready, hurtled round the corner and saw Professor Trelawney sprawled upon the floor, her head covered in one of her many shawls, several sherry bottles lying beside her, one broken.**

"**Professor -"**

**Harry hurried forwards and helped Professor Trelawney to her feet. Some of her glittlering beads had become entangled with her glasses. She hiccough loudly, patted her hair and pulled herself up on Harry's helping arm. **Hermione pointed her want at the broken sherry bottle and muttered "_Reparo!_"

"What happened, Professor?" asked Ron.

"**You may well ask!" she said shrilly. "I was strolling along, brooding upon certain Dark portents I happen to have glimpsed..."**

**Hermione wasn't paying much attention. She had just noticed where they were standing; there on the right was the tapestry of dancing trolls and, on the left, that smoothly impenetrable stretch of stone wall that concealed -**

"**Professor, were you trying to get into the Room of Requirement?"**

"**... omens I have been vouchsafed – what?"**

**She looked suddenly shifty.**

"**The Room of Requirement," repeated Hermione. "Were you trying to get in there?"**

"**I – well – I didn't know students knew about -"**

"**Not all of them do," said Harry. "But what happened? You screamed … it sounded as though you were hurt ..."**

"I was hurt!" exclaimed Trelawney, "I was hurled headfirst out of the Room! I walked in, everything went pitch black and the next thing I knew, I was on the floor here. It has never happened in all my years of hiding -" She anxiously looked at the bottles that were scattered around them. "of using the Room, I mean."

Hermione walked up to the wall and traced her fingers across the stone.

"I heard a voice." Trelawney said, beginning to pick up the bottles.

"**A voice? Saying what?" asked Harry**

"**I don't know that it was saying anything," said Professor Trelawney. "It was … whooping."**

"_Whooping_?" Harry, Ron and Hermione all said at once.

"**Gleefully," she said, nodding.**

**They stared at her.**

"**Was it male or female?"**

"**I would hazard a guess at male," said Professor Trelawney.**

"**And it sounded happy?"**

"**Very happy," Trelawney replied, sniffily.**

"**As though it was celebrating?"**

"**Most definitely."**

Harry glanced at his watch.

"I _need_ to get to Dumbledore's office, I'm sorry Professor."

Harry disappeared down the corridor.

"It's fine, it's fine, I'll find somewhere else..." Professor Trelawney muttered, walking slowly in the opposite direction, her arms full of bottles.

"And we need to get to the Owlery before curfew." Ron said, leading Hermione towards the West Tower.

/\

Ron fixed his letter to Hedwig's leg. Hermione folded her arms.

"Well, Harry isn't using her!" Ron said, protesting his innocence.

"I suppose." Hermione sighed, unfolding her arms and leading them out from the Owlery as Hedwig flew out into the night sky.

"Cheer up Hermione," Ron smiled, putting his arm around her as they walked down a deserted corridor. He pulled her close, her head resting in the crook of his neck. Hermione felt oddly comfortable as they ambled towards Gryffindor Tower.

"I'm not sad. I'm just, thinking."

"About what?"

"Who was in the Room of Requirement."

"Oh, you know what Trelawney's like," Ron smiled. "loopy."

There was something inside Hermione that felt that it wasn't just that Professor Trelawney was 'loopy'. She had a sickening feeling that she knew who it was.

"Oh, guess what?" Ron said, distracting her from her thoughts.

"What?"

"I _finally_ got rid of Lavender!"

Hermione laughed.

"_Finally_. I thought you'd never do it!"

"Neither did I! I did it on Sunday morning, that's why I was late for breakfast ..."

Ron stopped as he remembered about Sunday morning. He had tried to remain tentative about the whole Draco subject.

"Are you sure that you're okay?" he asked earnestly.

Hermione nodded.

They reached the Fat Lady and entered the common room, only to be greeted by Harry. Ron hastily took his arm from around Hermione.

"**What does Dumbledore want?" Hermione said at once. "Harry, are you okay?" she added, anxiously.**

"**I'm fine," said Harry shortly, **before turning and running up the dormitory staircase. Ron looked at Hermione and shrugged. Harry shortly sped back down the stairs, skidding to a halt where Ron and Hermione were stood.

"**I haven't got much time," Harry panted, "Dumbledore thinks I'm getting my invisibility cloak. Listen ..."**

**Quickly he told them where he was going, and why. He did not pause for either Hermione's gasps of horror or for Ron's hasty questions; they could work out the finer details for themselves later.**

"**... so you see what this means?" Harry finished at a gallop. "Dumbledore won't be here tonight, so Malfoy's going to have another clear shot at whatever he's up to."**

"I thought you knew what he was up to?" Hermione hastily interjected.

"Unfortunately, I do not." Harry sighed. **"I know it was Malfoy celebrating in the Room of Requirement. Here -" He shoved the Marauder's Map into Hermione's Hand. "You've got to watch him and you've got to watch Snape, too. Use anyone else who you can rustle up from the DA. Hermione, those contact Galleons will still work, right? Dumbledore says he's put extra protection in the school, but if Snape's involved, he'll know what Dumbledore's protection is, and how to avoid it – but he won't be expecting you lot to be on watch, will he?"**

"**Harry -" began Hermione, her eyes huge with fear.**

"**I haven't got time to argue," said Harry curtly. "Take this as well -" **he thrust a balled up pair of socks into Ron's hands.

"**Thanks," said Ron, "Er – why do I need socks?"**

"**You need what's wrapped in them, it's the Felix Felicis. Share it between yourselves and Ginny too. Say goodbye to her from me. I'd better go, Dumbledore's waiting -"**

And with that, Harry sped out of the portrait hole.

"Did you get all that?" Ron said, a look of bewilderment on his face.

"I think so."

Hermione looked down at the Marauder's Map, her eyes darting across the parchment as she searched for Draco's name.

/\

_I wrote this very quickly, I hope it's okay. I had a bit of a deadline, there's a setting on my wireless router which means that my internet cuts out at a certain time. If there's a massive problem, I shall fix it tomorrow x_


	27. Chapter 27

_I've been on holiday and at my Dad's. Internet wasn't fab so I have just been writing and getting ahead of myself, hence the wait.  
Mostly, I've been working on Deathly Hallows stuff and putting off finishing Half Blood Prince.  
What did everyone think of Deathly Hallows Part 2? I can't deny, I cried a lot._

_I'm kind of excited that I'm finishing up with Half Blood Prince, it feels like I'm on the home straight with this story now (although I still have a fair way to go). I love What If, but I can't wait to share new stories with you all!_

_I'm also really excited for Pottermore. I answered the clue on Day 3, so now I'm just waiting for my account to be activated. And I got into university, which is good, although I didn't get a place at my first choice :( But as you may or may not know, uni places in the UK are tough this year so I'm relieved that I'm going somewhere and don't have re-apply next year._

_Anyway, I'll shut up now..._

/\

"We need to try and contact members of DA" Ron said, rummaging through his trunk. Hermione was sat on his bed, the Marauder's Map spread out in front of her. She scanned the parchment, her eyes flicking from the Slytherin common room, to the Astronomy Tower, back to Snape's office in the dungeons. No sign of Draco.

"Got it!"

Hermione looked up to see Ron grinning, presenting her with a galleon coin.

"Yes yes yes!" Hermione exclaimed, jumping to her feet. "Great idea, Ron!"

She went to Harry's trunk and looked through its contents until she found another galleon at the bottom. She took out her wand and changed the inscription that ran around the edge of the coin, instructing members of Dumbledore's Army to meet them as soon as possible. As she finished, Ron felt the coin that was in his hand warm up, pulsing as the numerals changed.

/\

"Why is no-one here?"

Hermione paced the seventh floor corridor, nearby to the entrance of the Room of Requirement. Neville and Luna were, so far, the only ones that had turned up. Hermione had expected the whole of Dumbledore's Army to come.

"Sorry!" Ginny came hurtling down the corridor, long hair streaming behind her. "I'm here!"

"Right," said Ron, taking control. "Me, Ginny and Neville will stay here and guard the Room of Requirement, you and Luna guard Snape's office?"

Hermione and Luna nodded, taking a swig of the Felix Felicis that was offered to them before disappearing down a staircase.

/\

Hermione walked the length of the dungeon corridor for what felt like the hundredth time, Luna was sat on the floor with her back against the wall.

They knew that Snape was in his office, but he hadn't left the room since they had arrived.

"Do you know what time it is?" Hermione asked, feeling frustrated that they had little to do, Snape wasn't leaving any time soon.

"Not sure," said Luna, looking up at her. "But it must be near to midnight?"

Hermione sighed and sad down next to her. After a few moments, they heard hurried footsteps descending the stairs from the entrance hall. Professor Flitwick was hurrying down the corridor towards them. Hermione got to her feet, as did Luna.

"Professor!" the latter said, looking worriedly at her head of house. "What's wrong?"

"I, I need Professor Snape! Death Eater's in the castle! I need Professor Snape!" Flitwick squeaked, barely noticing them as he hastily pulled the potions master's door open and closed it behind him.

Hermione and Luna stared at the closed door. Within a minute, the door opened again and Snape appeared. His eyes met those of the two girls and a look of shock spread across his face.

"Erm, Professor Flitwick has collapsed... go and take care of him, I need to -" Snape didn't even finish his sentence as he disappeared up to dungeon steps.

Hermione and Luna didn't wait a second, rushing into the office to find Flitwick lying unconscious on the floor.

/\

"**Now, Draco, quickly!" said the brutal-faced man angrily.**

**But Malfoy's hand was shaking so badly that he could barely aim. **He had to do it, there was no way out. The Order had tried and failed to protect him, but there was only so much they could have done to help. There was no stopping the Dark Lord. He had no choice but to kill Dumbledore, but he couldn't bring himself to do it: he had nothing against the man.

Draco could hear voices around him, but they seemed like a buzz of noise to his ears. He lowered his wand slowly, staring at the professor standing in front of him. He couldn't do it.

"**Severus ..."**

**Snape said nothing, but walked forwards and pushed Malfoy roughly out of the way. The three Death Eaters fell back without a word. Even the werewolf seemed cowed.**

**Snape gazed for a moment at Dumbledore, and there was revulsion and hatred etched in the harsh lines of his face.**

"**Severus … please ..."**

**Snape raised his wand and pointed it directly at Dumbledore.**

"**Avada Kedavra!"**

**A jet of green light shot from the end of Snapes wand and hit Dumbledore squarely in the chest. He was blasted into the air: for a split second he seemed to hang suspended beneath the shining skull, and then he fell slowly backwards, like a great rag doll, over the battlements and out of sight.**

/\

"Hermione, I'll stay here with Flitwick, you go upstairs and see what's going on." Luna said as they tended to the Professor, who was now lying on the top of Snape's desk. Hermione hesitated.

"Hermione, go!"

She sprinted out of the room and up the steps to the entrance hall to see a tall cloaked figure laughing as they strode out into the grounds. **The oak front doors had been blasted open; there were smears of blood on the flagstones and several terrified students stood huddled against walls, one or two still cowering with their arms over their faces; the giant Gryffindor hour-glass had been hit by a curse and the rubies within were still falling, with a loud rattle, on to the flagstones below.**

"You'll be safe in the dungeons, hurry!" Hermione directed the younger pupils down the staircase she had just ascended.

As the last few disappeared, she turned to see Draco hurrying down the main staircase.

"Draco! Are you okay?"

Draco turned his head and looked at her, Hermione could see a mixture of fear and sadness in his eyes. He stopped at the bottom of the stairs as she slowly walked towards him.

"Are you okay?" Hermione repeated, stopping a couple of yards away from him.

There was a crash from the floor above as spells clattered against the walls and ricocheted down into the entrance hall. Hermione and Draco ducked as a red jet narrowly missed their heads.

Snape came rushing down the stairs, black cloak billowing behind him.

"It's over!" he shouted.

Draco looked at Hermione as Snape pushed past them and hurried out into the grounds.

"I'm sorry, Hermione."

He turned away from her and followed Snape.

Harry appeared at the top of the main staircase, wand drawn.

**He flew down the steps and across the entrance hall, out into the dark grounds. Ahead of him, Hermione could make out three figures racing across the lawn, heading for the gates beyond which they could disapparate – the huge blond Death Eater and, some way ahead of him, Snape and Malfoy...**

/\

Hermione had returned upstairs to help with the fight, but members of the Order needed little assistance – there were only a few Death Eaters left. She looked out of the window to see a small crowd congregating at the foot of the Astronomy Tower. Her eyes flicked up to see the Dark Mark in the sky, her heart beat painfully as the crowd parted to reveal a body. She could see Harry, Ginny and Hagrid looking down at the grey-robed figure on the floor. She knew who it was, but didn't want it to be true.

**Dumbledore's eyes were closed; but for the strange angle of his arms and legs, he might have been sleeping. Hermione gazed down at the wise old face and tried to absorb the enormous and incomprehensible truth.**

/\

**Hermione, Harry and Ginny reached the hospital wing: pushing open the doors, Hermione saw Neville lying, apparently asleep, in a bed near the door. Ron, Luna, Tonks and Lupin were gathered around another bed near the far end of the ward. At the sound of the doors opening, they all looked up.**

"Are you all right, Harry?" asked Luna.

"**I'm fine … how's Bill?"**

**Nobody answered. Hermione looked over Ron's shoulder and saw an unrecognisable face lying on Bill's pillow, so badly slashed and ripped that he looked grotesque. Madam Pomfrey was dabbing his wounds with some harsh-smelling green ointment.**

Ron turned to look at his brother, a worried look on his face. Hermione thought his gaze was so intense it looked as though he could somehow force his brother's face to mend just by staring.

"**He wasn't bitten at the full moon, Greyback hadn't transformed, so surely Bill won't be a – a real -?"**

**He looked uncertainly at Lupin.**

"**No, I don't think that Bill will be a true werewolf," said Lupin, "but that does not mean that there won't be some contamination. Those are cursed wounds. They are unlikely ever to heal fully, and – and Bill might have some wolfish characteristics from now on."**

"**Dumbledore might now something that'd work, though," Ron said. "Where is he? Bill fought those maniacs on Dumbledore's orders, Dumbledore owes him, he can't leave him in this state -"**

Hermione looked at Ginny and Harry, none of them knew how to break the news. Hermione took a deep breath.

"Ron – Dumbledore's dead."

As the words came out of her mouth, they suddenly seemed real. She felt a lump form in her throat.

"**No!" Lupin looked wildly at Harry and Ginny, as though one of them might contradict her, but when neither of them did, Lupin collapsed into a chair beside Bill's bed, his hands over his face.**

"**How did he die?" whispered Tonks. "How did it happen?"**

Hermione looked to Harry, as did everyone else. Even Lupin looked up from his lap.

"**Snape killed him," said Harry. "I was there, I saw it. We arrived back on the Astronomy Tower because that's where the Mark was … Dumbledore was ill, he was weak, but I think he realised it was a trap when we heard footsteps running up the stairs. He immobilised me, I couldn't do anything, I was under the Invisibility Cloak – and then Malfoy came through the door and Disarmed him -"**

**Hermione clapped her hands to her mouth, and Ron groaned. Luna's mouth trembled.**

Hermione listened to the end of Harry's account, how Snape had arrived and cast Avada Kedavra. Her throat burned and there was a layer of tears covering her eyes, waiting to escape down her face.

"H-Harry?" her voice trembled. "Is this what the protection thing was about?"

Everyone looked at her. Lupin was nodding, his head returning to his hands.

"What protection?" asked Ron.

Harry sighed.

"Only me, Dumbledore and Lupin knew," he said. "Malfoy had been instructed to let Death Eaters into Hogwarts and he didn't know what to do. He didn't want to be a Death Eater."

"Malfoy's a Death Eater?" Ron seemed somewhat shocked.

Harry nodded. The tears had now left Hermione's eyes and were rolling freely down her face.

"We couldn't stop it from happening completely, otherwise he'd be in trouble with Voldemort," Harry continued. "but we did manage to put it off for a while, giving the excuse that the vanishing cabinet was broken."

"Vanishing cabinet?"

"The one in the Room of Requirement? It was linked with another in Borgin and Burkes. That's how the Death Eaters got in."

Hermione nodded. _That explained why Draco spent so much time in there..._

"Wait," Hermione said, sniffing, "If Draco let the Death Eaters in, how did they get up to the Astronomy Tower unnoticed?"

Hermione and Harry looked at Ron.

"**I messed up, Harry," said Ron bleakly. "We did like you told us: we checked the Marauder's Map and we couldn't see him on it, so we thought he must be in the Room, so me, Ginny and Neville went to keep watch on it … but Malfoy got past us."**

"**He came out of the Room about an hour after we started keeping watch," said Ginny. "He was on his own, clutching that awful shrivelled arm -"**

"**His Hand of Glory," said Ron. "Gives light only to the holder, remember?"**

"**Anyway," Ginny went on, "he must have been checking whether the coast was clear to let the Death Eaters out, because the moment he saw us he threw something into the air and it all went pitch black -"**

"**- Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder," said Ron bitterly. "Fred and George's. I'm going to be having a word with them about who they let buy their products."**

"**We tried everything – _Lumos_, _Incendio_," said Ginny. "Nothing would penetrate the darkness; all we could do was grope our way out of the corridor again, and meanwhile we could hear people rushing past us. Obviously Draco could see because of that Hand thing and was guiding them, but we didn't dare use any curses or anything in case we hit each other, and by the time we'd reached a corridor that was light, they'd gone."**

"**Luckily," said Lupin hoarsely, "Ron, Ginny and Neville ran into us almost immediately and told us what had happened. We found the Death Eaters minutes later, heading in the direction of the Astronomy Tower. A fight broke out, they scattered and we gave chase."**

"What about Snape, was he with them?" Harry asked.

"That's our fault." Luna said.

"We were outside his office," whispered Hermione, her eyes sparkling with tears, "We didn't know what was going on upstairs. Snape inside and Flitwick came sprinting down into the dungeons at about midnight shouting about Death Eaters and went straight into his room. Snape came out moments later and – and -"

"**What?" Harry urged her.**

"**I was so stupid, Harry!" said Hermione in a high-pitched whisper. "He said Professor Flitwick had collapsed and that we should go and take care of him while he – while he went to help with the Death Eaters -"**

**She covered her face in shame and continued to talk into her fingers, so that her voice was muffled.**

"**We went into his office to see if we could help Professor Flitwick and found him unconscious on the floor … and, oh, it's so obvious now, Snape must have Stupefied him, but we didn't realise, Harry, we didn't realise, we just let Snape go!"**

"**It's not your fault," said Lupin firmly. "Hermione, had you not obeyed Snape and got out of the way, he would probably have killed you and Luna."**

Hermione felt "killed" seemed a bit strong, but it made her feel a little better.

Bill stirred, and all attention was drawn to him.

/\

Hermione and Ron walked slowly to Gryffindor Tower from the hospital wing, neither spoke. **They did not meet another soul until they tyrned into the passage leading to the Gryffindor common room.**

"**Is it true?" whispered the Fat Lady as they approached her. "Is it really true? Dumbledore – dead?"**

"**Yes," said Ron.**

**She let out a wail and, without waiting for the password, swung forwards to admit them.**

**As Hermione had suspected it would be, the common room was jam-packed. **She and Ron went up to the sixth-year boys' dormitory, which was empty. They still did not speak a word, simply sat side by side on the edge of Ron's bed. Ron took Hermione's hand and squeezed it tightly, as they waited for Harry to return from Dumbledore's office: he and McGonagall had gone up to the headmaster's office shortly before they left the hospital wing.

A while later, Harry came back.

"**They're talking about closing the school," said Harry.**

"**Lupin said they would," said Ron.**

**There was a pause.**

"**So?" said Ron in a very low voice, as though he thought the furniture might be listening in. "Did you find one? Did you get it? A – a Horcrux?"**

**Harry shook his head.**

"You didn't get it?" said Hermione, her heart sinking. "It wasn't there?"

"**No," said Harry. "Someone had already taken it and left a fake in its place."**

"**Already taken -?"**

**Wordlessly, Harry pulled the fake locket from his pocket, opened it and passed it to Hermione. **She took her hand from Ron's grip in order to examine it more closely. Ron peered at the scrap of parchment inside.

"R.A.B.," he whispered, "but who was that?"

"Dunno."

/\

**All lessons were suspended, all examinations postponed. Some students were hurried away from Hogwarts by their parents over the next couple of days – the Patil twins were gone before breakfast on the morning following Dumbledore's death and Zacharias Smith was escorted from the castle by his haughty-looking father. Seamus Finnigan, on the other hand, refused point-blank to accompany his mother home; they had a shouting match in the Entrance Hall which was resolbed when she agreed that he could remain behind for the funeral. She had difficulty in finding a bed in Hogsmeade, Seamus told Hermione, for wizards and witches were pouring into the village, preparing to pay their last respects to Dumbledore.**

Hermione had not spoken about Draco since the conversation in the hospital wing the night before, but that didn't mean he was out of her thoughts. His Slytherin friends looked somewhat uneasy due to his absence, like a great hole was missing from their group. Crabbe and Goyle were muttering together. **Hulking boys though they were, they looked oddly lonely without the tall, pale figure of Malfoy between them, bossing them around.** She understood Draco's actions, but couldn't help but worry for his safety. She spent most of the day in silence, only speaking when necessary, collecting her thoughts. She did not believe Draco would have killed Dumbledore. She knew he couldn't bring himself to do it. Where, Hermione wondered, was Draco now, and what was Voldemort making him do under threat of killing him and his parents?

She woke up early the next day, the day of Dumbledore's funeral (the Hogwarts Express would be leaving an hour afterwards). When she arrived in the Great Hall, she found the mood subdued. **Everyone was wearing their dress robes and no one seemed very hungry. Professor McGonagall had left the thronelike chair in the middle of the staff table empty. Hagrid's chair was deserted too: Hermione thought that perhaps he had not been able to face breakfast; but Snape's place had been unceremoniously filled by Rufus Scrimgeour. **Among the Minister's entourage Hermione spotted the red hair and horn-rimmed glasses of Percy Weasley. Ron gave no sign that he was aware of his presence, **apart from stabbing pieces of kipper with unwonted venom.**

Lead by their heads of houses, the students headed outside through the front doors towards the lake. They walked in silence to a place where hundreds of chairs had been set out in rows. **An aisle ran down the centre of them: there was a marble table standing at the fron, all chairs facing it. It was the most beautiful summer's day.**

There was an extraordinary assortment of people already there, Hermione twisted around to take in all the faces as she sat down with Harry, Ron and Ginny at the end of a row by the lake. Tonks gave Hermione half a smile from her seat next to Lupin, the two appeared to be holding hands. Members of the Weasley family had taken seats behind them. Hermione turned around to give Fred and George a hug, both of whom were wearing jackets of black dragonskin. Bill had left the hospital wing and, as she had arrived yesterday afternoon, Fleur was cuddling towards him as he put his arm around her. Mrs Weasley was dabbing at her eyes with a flowery handkerchief every couple of minutes, and even Mr Weasley could hold back the tears behind his glasses.

**People were whispering to each other; it sounded like a breeze in the grass, but the birdsong was louder by far. The crowd continued to swell; with a great rush of affection for both of them, Hermione saw Neville being helped into a seat by Luna.**

A sharp pain rose in Hemione's throat as she saw Hagrid walk slowly up the aisle between the chairs. **He was crying quite silently, his face gleaming with tears, and in his arms, wrapped in purple velvet spangled with golden stars, was what Hermione knew to be Dumbledore's body. **Ron looked white and shocked, as did Harry. Tears were falling thick and fast into both Ginny and Hermione's laps. Hermione took Ron and Harry's hands and held them tightly on her lap, Harry put his arm around Ginny and the four of them moved closer together as Hagrid placed the body carefully on the table and the service began.

**A little tufty-haired man in plain black robes had hot to his feet and now stood in front of Dumbledore's body. Hermione could not hear what he was saying. **Odd words floated back to them over the hundreds of heads, but none really sank in.

**The little man in black had stopped speaking at last and resumed to his seat. **There was a pause for a few moments, then suddenly bright, white flames had erupted around Dumbledore's body and the table upon which he lay: higher and higher they rose, obscuring his body. **White smoke spiralled into the air and made strange shapes. **Then the fire vanished and in its place was a white marble tomb, encasing Dumbledore's body and the table on which he had rested.

/\

_Quite an epic chapter by my standards, a lot has happened. And HBP is done :)_

_I hate to break this to you, but I go on holiday again tomorrow, for a week. It's really annoyed me how fast this summer has gone, I wanted to have this finished by now. But I don't leave for university until late September, so I'm going to make it my mission to get as much done as possible when I return x_


	28. Chapter 28

_Back and really excited to be starting Deathly Hallows :)  
I'm into Pottermore! And into Ravenclaw, I'm so happy – I've seen myself as a Ravenclaw ever since I was little, I was so relieved!_

/\

Hermione looked at her empty room, stripped entirely of her existence. Photos of her friends were pulled down from the wall and tucked in a journal, her clothes and belongings stuffed in a bag. She had been planning for days, packing little by little so her mother wouldn't notice. Now her room looked empty and cold, it could simply be nothing more than a spare room in the house.

Ron and Ginny had supported her throughout the week, sending her owls of encouragement each day. She had spoken to Harry briefly, but not mentioned what she was doing. He told her about the Dursleys, how they were leaving their house because they didn't feel safe. _Smart move._

"Hermione, tea's ready!"

"Coming Mum!"

Hermione took one last look at her room before walking out onto the landing and closing the door.

She slowly walked downstairs, drinking in her surroundings. She had lived in this house her whole life. She tiptoed into the dining room to see both of her parents with their backs to her. Her father way laying the table while her mother was dishing up food. It was a perfect opportunity.

Hermione took her wand out of her jeans pocket and raised it to point towards her parents. Her hand shook as she looked at them, blissfully oblivious. She had to do it, she couldn't put it off any longer.

"_Obliviate._" she murmured.

She watched them shudder slightly as their memories of her were wiped. She slipped out of the room and into the hall. She stared at the front door. If she simply opened it they'd hear her.

"_Alohamora_."

The door quietly clicked open and evening sunlight streamed through from outside. A lump rose in her throat as she looked at a photograph that was perched on an end table next to the door, from their holiday in France the summer before her third year at Hogwarts. She watched as the image of her disappeared to reveal only the scenic backdrop behind her. She couldn't bear it any longer. She walked out in such a hurry that she knocked the photo onto the floor, smashing the glass of the frame.

"Did you just hear the door slam?"

Mr Granger got up from his seat and went into the hall to find the photo frame lying on the floor. He crouched down to pick it up.

"What is it?" said Mrs Granger, following her husband.

"Oh, just the photo of Lake Annecy, it doesn't matter."

He carefully picked up the pieces of glass and took them into the kitchen. He removed the photo from the frame and put it in a random draw before throwing the glass into the bin.

"You know what? I barely remember that holiday."

/\

"Shh, it's okay, shh."

Ron cradled Hermione in his arms, stroking her hair as she sobbed into his t-shirt. She had arrived fifteen minutes earlier, apparating into the garden in floods of tears. She didn't have to say anything as he ran to her, Ginny taking her bag and coat as he lead Hermione into the sitting room.

Mrs Weasley came into the room and placed two milky mugs of tea on the table before retreating silently.

"Tea?" Ron asked.

Hermione pulled away and nodded, sniffing. She picked up a mug and began to drink.

"Well, this is going to have to go in the wash." Ron said, inspecting the wet patch down his front. Hermione smiled.

"Thanks Ron."

/\

**The drawing room was full of silent people, sitting at a long and ornate table. The room's usual furniture had been pushed carelessly against the walls. Illumination came from a roaring fire beneath a handsome marble mantelpiece surmounted by a gilded mirror.**

Draco did not like this invasion of his space, scores of Death Eaters taking up residence in his family home. He spent most of his time in his room, except from when his father dragged him downstairs to talk to his 'collegues'.

He was sat between his mother and father about halfway down the table; his aunt and uncle, Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange, sat opposite him. At the head of the table sat the Dark Lord.

Draco looked to the other end of the room and saw the strangest scene: **an apparently unconscious human figure hanging upside down over the table, revolving slowly as if suspended by an invisible rope, and reflected in the mirror and in the bare, polished surface of the table below. None of the people seated underneath this singular sight was looking at it. **Except for Draco, he seemed unable to prevent himself from glancing upwards every minute or so. When he wasn't looking up at the figure, he was looking down at his knees.

The doors of the room opened and in walked Yaxley and Snape.

"You are very nearly late." said the Dark Lord; his high, clear voice echoing around the room.Draco continued to stare down at his lap as the two men took their allotted places.

"**My Lord, the Order of the Phoenix intends to move Harry Potter from his current place of safety on Saturday next, at nightfall."**

**Voldemort's lipless mouth curved into something like a smile.**

"**Good. Very good. And this information comes -"**

"**From the source we discussed."**

Draco's attention wavered in and out of the conversation, he stared at the grain of the wood that made up the large table in front of him. His mother took his hand and squeezed it tightly, but did not look at him.

"My Lord," Bellatrix said, her voice constricted with emotion, "it is an honour to have you here, in our family's house. There can be no higher pleasure."

Narcissa looked across the table to her sister. Bellatrix was unlike her in looks, **with her dark hair and heavily lidded eyes, as she was in bearing and ****demeanour, where Narcissa sat rigid and impassive, Bellatrix leaned towards Voldemort, for mere words could not demonstrate her longing for closeness. **

"**No higher pleasure," repeated Voldemort, his head tilted a little to one side as he considered Bellatrix. "That means a great deal, Bellatrix, from you."**

**Her face flooded with colour; her eyes welled with tears of delight.**

"**My lord knows I speak nothing but the truth!"**

"**No higher pleasure … even compared with the happy event that, I hear, has taken place in your family this week?"**

**She stared at him, her lips parted, evidently confused.**

"**I don't know what you mean, my Lord."**

"**I'm talking about your niece, Bellatrix. And yours, Lucius and Narcissa. She has just married the werewolf, Remus Lupin. You must be so proud."**

**There was an eruption of jeering laughter from around the table. Many leaned forward to exchange gleeful looks; a few thumped the table with their fists. **Draco saw the look of embarrassment on his father and aunt's faces. His mother remained expressionless. Draco was not ashamed of his cousin's marriage. In fact, he has sent Lupin an owl congratulating them and thanking him for everything he had done. He may no longer have had connections with the Order, but he was still grateful for the support they once provided.

"Yes, yes, quite amusing," Voldemort mused. "Almost as amusing as Draco's infatuation with that filthy mudblood girl."

Draco felt his face burn as shrank into his seat, trying not to notice everyone's eyes boring into him.

"Of course, I'd almost forgotten," Lucius chuckled coldly, feigning amusement as he patted his son's shoulder "Good thing we made him come to his senses and realise what he was doing."

Draco felt himself nodding.

Luckily, his father knew nothing of his relationship with Hermione during his sixth year. No-one in the room knew, except perhaps his mother. She seemed to have that knowing look, even though she had never explicitly asked him about it.

"Enough," said Voldemort, stroking Nagini. "Enough."

**And the laughter died at once.**

**Voldemort raised his wand, pointed it directly at the slowly revolving figure suspended over the table and gave it a tiny flick. The figure came to life with a groan and began to struggle against the invisible bonds.**

"**Do you recognise our guest, Severus?" asked Voldemort.**

**Snape raised his eyes to the upside-down face. **Draco looked up and studied the face too. He realised who the woman was, he had seen her in the corridors at Hogwarts, carrying piles of parchment and boxes of contraptions that he did not recognise.

"**For those of you who do not know, we are joined here tonight by Charity Burbage who, until recently, taught at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."**

Draco could not stand to look at Charity's pained face any more, lowering his eyes.

**Yes … Professor Burbage taught the children of witches and wizards all about Muggles … how they are not so different from us ..."**

Draco couldn't bare to look at the disgusted faces of people sat around him, so he directed his gaze at his lap.

"**Not content with corruption and polluting the minds of wizarding children, last week Professor Burbage wrote an impassioned defence of Mudbloods in the Daily Prophet. Wizards, she says, must accept these thieves of their knowledge and magic. The dwindling of the pure-bloods is, says Professor Burbage, a most desirable circumstance … she would have us all mate with Muggles."**

Nobody reacted, there was no mistaking the anger and contempt in Voldemort's voice. Charity looked pleadingly at Snape, tears pouring from her eyes into her hair.

"Severus, please."

Snape didn't react, staring back at her with a blank expression. Voldemort flicked his wand and brought her a couple of inches closer to him.

"_Avada Kedavra_."

**The flash of green light illuminated ever corner of the room. Charity fell, with a resounding crash, on to the table below, which trembled and creaked. Several Death Eaters leapt back in their chairs. Draco fell out of his on to the floor. **Narcissa rushed to lift him up as they turned to look at the dishevelled body lying on the table.

"**Dinner, Nagini," said Voldemort softly, and the great snake swayed and slithered from his shoulders and on to the polished wood.**

/\

Draco was sat, quill in hand, at the desk in his room. He looked down at the parchment in front of him. All he had written was one word. _Hermione._

He was trying to write her a letter, but seemed unable to decide what to say. He had pushed her away for their own good, but being away from her was painful. _No, we mustn't. It isn't safe._

He got up, taking the parchment with him, and threw the paper into the fire. He stared at the flames for a moment or two as he watched it blacken and curl up as it burned.

There was a knock at the door.

"Come in."

Narcissa came into the room and joined him by the fire.

"Are you okay?" she asked. Draco nodded. They both took a seat in the armchairs that faced the fireplace.

"I can't stand all these people in my house," Narcissa said venomously. "Everywhere I go, there's someone there. I can't get a moment's piece. Crabbe broke one of my crystal wine glasses today, you know? Clumsy fool."

Draco didn't really listen to his mother. He felt restless. It felt like he was trapped in his own home. His friends had visited him since summer had started, but the arrival of Voldemort and the Death Eaters had stopped that. His friends weren't dark wizards. _Yet._

It seemed as though Narcissa had understood what he was thinking about, as she patted his arm.

"You know, you could floo to Blaise's for a few hours if you wanted. Or to the Greengrass'. No-one would notice that you were gone."

They heard shouting from the hallway.

"Cissy!" Bellatrix called. "Cissy, where are you?"

Narcissa sighed, before getting up and leaving. Draco got to his feet too, picking up a small jar that was on the mantelpiece. He opened it and ran his fingers through the green powder that was inside. He stared at the flames before him. He closed the jar and put it back.

/\

_This chapter has a bit of a dark tone, but I actually enjoyed writing Draco's half of it. I wanted to provide some insight into his thinking. I wasn't sure what direction to take with Hermione's part of the chapter, obviously there's very little to go off in the book, so opted to write something inspired by Deathly Hallows Part 1. Hope it's okay._

_Thanks for reading x_


	29. Chapter 29

_Hello again, thanks for the reviews :)  
I'm all settled in at university now, and I love it. Just finished my first semester and can't believe how quick it's gone! Hope everyone is enjoying their holidays :D As usual, sorry for not updating. I am a failure. For some reason I just didn't want to write this chapter, and being so busy didn't help..._

/\

The thestrals landed on the tarmac road of Privet Drive with a clatter of their hooves. They were soon followed by a group of brooms and one motorbike, complete with a black sidecar. Ron dismounted his broom and walked over to one of the thestrals to help Hermione down. She had never liked flying on a broom, so when the skeletal, black-winged horses had been suggested she was very happy.

The door of number four was wrenched open, and Harry Potter hurtled into their midst. **There was a general cry of greeting as Hermione flung her arms around him, Ron clapped him on the back and Hagrid said, "All righ', Harry? Ready fer the off?"**

"**Definitely," said Harry, beaming around at them all. "But I wasn't expecting this many of you!"**

"**Change of plan," growled Mad-Eye, who was holding two enormous, bulging sacks and whose magical eye was spinning from the darkening sky to the house to the garden with dizzying rapidity. "Let's go undercover before we talk you through it."**

**Harry lead them into the kitchen where, laughing and chattering, they settled on chairs, sat themselves upon Aunt Petunia's gleaming work-surfaces or leaned up against her spotless appliances. **Hermione was perched on one of said counter-tops next to Tonks, who winked at her.

"Pius Thicknesse has gone over, which gives us a big problem." said Moody. **"He's made it an imprisonable offence to connect this house to the Floo Network, place a Portkey here or Apparate in or out. All done in the name of your protection, to prevent You-Know-Who getting in at you. Absolutely pointless, seeing as your mother's charm does that already. What he's really done is to stop you getting out of here safely."**

Harry nodded as the former Defence Against the Dark Arts professor continued.

"**Second problem: you're under-age, which means you've still got the Trace on you. If you, or anyone around you, casts a spell to get you out of here, Thicknesse is going to know about it, and so will the Death Eaters. We can't wait for the Trace to break, because the moment you turn seventeen you'll lose all the protection your mother gave you. In short: Pius Thicknesse thinks he's got you cornered good and proper."**

"So," said Kingsley Shacklebolt. "We're using means of transport that the Trace can't detect, because we don't have to cast spells to use them: brooms, thestrals and Hagrid's motorbike."

Moody nodded and dropped the sacks he was holding on the floor, starting to undo the ties on them.

"**Now, your mother's charm will only break under two conditions: when you come of age or -" Moody gestured around the pristine kitchen "- you no longer call this place home. You and your aunt and uncle are going your separate ways tonight, in the full understanding that you're never going to live together again, correct?"**

**Harry nodded.**

"**So this time, when you leave, there'll be no coming back, and the charm will break the moment you get outside its range. We're choosing to break it early, because the alternative is waiting for You-Know-Who to come and seize you the moment you turn seventeen. The one thing we've got on our side is that he doesn't know we're moving you tonight. We've leaked a fake trail to the Ministry: they think you're not leaving until the thirtieth. However, this is You-Know-Who we're dealing with, so we can't just rely on him getting the date wrong; he's bound to have a couple of Death Eaters patrolling the skies in this general area just in case."**

He tipped up the sacks and clothes fell onto the floor. Hermione noticed that all the t-shirts looked the same, as did the jeans. They were to dress alike.

"We will all be flying to different safe houses: The Burrow, my house, Kingsley's place, Tonk's parents – you all know which one to head to."

**From inside his cloak Moody now withdrew a flask of what looked like mud. **Hermione watched as Harry realised what it was.

"No!" Harry said loudly, his voice ringing through the kitchen. "No way!"

"**I told them you'd take it like this," said Hermione, with a hint of complacency. **

After a large amount of convincing, mostly on Hermione's part, Harry reluctantly agreed that polyjuice potion was the best option. There were to be seven Potters: Harry (of course), Hermione, Ron, Fred, George, Fleur, and Mundungus Fletcher. They changed into the matching outfits and presented themselves in front of Moody.

"**Harry, your eyesight really is awful," said Hermione, as she put on glasses.**

**Once dressed, the fake Harrys took rucksacks and owl cages, each containing a stuffed snowy owl. **

Moody indicated which Harry would receive which partner. Hermione was with Kingsley.

It was her turn to take the potion, Hermione noted that Harry tasted a lot better than Millicent Bulstrode's cat. But still not good.

As she was helped onto the back of one of the thestrals, Hermione looked around at the numerous Harrys in the street. Her heart pounded with anticipation; she was nervous as to what would happen next.

"**Good luck, everyone." shouted Moody. "See you all in about an hour at The Burrow. On the count of three. One … two … THREE."**

The thestral cantered down Privet Drive before taking off into the sky, up through the clouds into the night. **And then, out of nowhere, out of nothing, they were surrounded.**

/\

**Two figures appeared in the yard and as Harry ran towards them he realised that they were Hermione, now returning to her normal appearance, and Kingsley, both clutching a bent coat hanger. Hermione flung herself into Harry's arms, but Kingsley showed no pleasure at the sight of any of them. Over Harry's shoulder Hermione saw him raise his wand and point it at Lupin's chest.**

"**The last words Albus Dumbledore spoke to the pair of us?"**

"**_'Harry is the best hope we have. Trust him.'_" said Lupin calmly.**

Harry angled his head so that he could talk into Hermione's ear as they hugged.

"They realised it was me," he said. "I disarmed Stan Shunpike and they knew it was me."

"It's not your fault, it seems like they knew that we changed the day. We nearly missed our portkey!"

"Now don't be alarmed," Harry said, pulling away from her and studying her face. "But Ron and Tonks missed their portkey..."

Hermione gasped and put her hands to her mouth.

"George is hurt too. One of his ears is missing."

If it were possible, Hermione looked even more worried. Harry took her into The Burrow where they rushed to George's side.

/\

"So … are you going back to Hogwarts this year?"

"No." said Draco firmly.

"Why not?"

"Because I'm not."

"I bet your parents try and make you go," said Daphne, smiling slightly. "I know that your mother will do anything to get you away from the house."

Draco looked up from his lap at her, a slight puzzled look on his face.

"She insisted that I invite you round."

Draco nodded, understanding. He was quite relieved to be away from Malfoy Manor – many of the Death Eaters had gone to try to surprise Potter as he left his aunt and uncle's house. He knew the Death Eaters would not succeed, he could feel it in his gut. But what if someone was badly hurt? What if she was that someone?

"Asty, go away!" Daphne Greengrass snapped, bringing Draco's mind back into focus. He looked up to see a swish of long, pale blonde hair as the girl left the room.

"Sorry about that, she's so nosy."

"No … it's okay..."

/\

"**Bill! Thank God, thank God -"**

**Mrs Weasley ran forwards but the hug Bill bestowed upon her was perfunctory. Looking directly at his father, he said "Mad-Eye's dead."**

/\

Draco flooed back into his room to find his mother waiting for him.

"They're back." she said.

"And?" said Draco, hesitantly.

"He got away. They did more damage to us than we did to them apparently, the Dark Lord is furious. But that Auror, Moody, is dead."

Draco nodded and crossed the room to sit on his bed. He still felt concerned.

"Your father's fine... so is _she_."

Draco's heard thudded hard in his chest as he thought of Hermione. He soon relaxed. _She was safe. For now._

/\

Hermione insisted on doing the washing up the morning after the journey to The Burrow, so that Mrs Weasley could get a break. Ron had the duty of putting away the clean plates.

"**Mum's been trying to get it out of me and Harry. What we're off to do. She'll try you next so brace yourself. Dad and Lupin have both asked as well. **I just said that Dumbledore told Harry not to tell anyone but us?"

Hermione nodded.

"They dropped it, Mum hasn't though. She's determined.

**Ron's prediction came true within hours. Shortly before lunch, Mrs Weasley detached Hermione from the others by asking her to help with the food. **

"**Ron and Harry seem to think that the three of you are dropping out of Hogwarts," she began in a light, casual tone.**

"**Oh," said Hermione. "Well, yeah. We are."**

Mrs Weasley picked Hermione's brains until Ron came to the rescue. She whispered her thanks and went up to her room to fetch her cardigan. As she walked in, she spotted her beaded bag that she had left upon her camp bed. She picked it up and studied it carefully, an idea hatching in her mind.

/\

"Hermione, what are you doing with all those books?" said Ron, sitting on Ginny's bed as he watched her sit on the floor, surrounded by belongings. Harry was stood by the window, staring out as he watched Fred, George and Ginny in the garden.

"**Just trying to decide which ones to take with us," said Hermione. "When we're looking for the Horcruxes."**

"**Oh, of course," said Ron, clapping a hand to his forehead. "I forgot we'll be hunting down Voldemort in a mobile library."**

"**Ha ha." said Hermione, looking down at _Spellman's Syllabary_. "I wonder … will we need to translate ancient runes? It's possible … I think I better take it, to be safe."**

They could hear the sound of voices downstairs, and Harry watched as he saw Mrs Weasley drag her children from the garden.

"More wedding drama." Ron sighed.

As soon as George was back on his feet, Mrs Weasley had resumed wedding mode, frantically preparing the house for Fleur and Bill's big day. It was very hectic at The Burrow; the three of them had very little time to make plans about what their next move would be.

There was a knock at the door, and Mrs Weasley walked in looking flustered.

"**I'm so sorry to break up this cosy little gathering," she said, her voice trembling. "I'm sure you all need your rest … but there are wedding presents stacked in my room that need sorting out and I was under the impression that you had agreed to help."**

The three followed her out of the room and down the stairs to her room.

"**It's like being a house-elf," **complained Ron, once they were left alone again for a moment. **"Except without the job-satisfaction. The soonder this wedding's over, the happier I'll be."**

"**Yeah," said Harry, "then we'll have nothing to do except find Horcruxes … it'll be like a holiday, won't it?"**

Hermione giggled, before handing Harry a box wrapped in pale silver paper with a purple bow. Her heart thudded as the familiar wrappings made her think of the previous Christmas. She still wore the bracelet every day. She felt as though it burnt against her skin at the thought of it: a constant reminder of Draco.

/\

Draco dipped his quill in ink and stared at the blank parchment. He could do it, it was just one word at a time. His owl was perched on his windowsill, waiting for him to finish. Voldemort's fury had not calmed down at all, so Draco had been steering clear of other people, only seeing his mother and, occasionally, his father. He just wanted to be away from all the Death Eaters; he just wanted it to go back to him and his parents. He didn't like how his aunt insisted on 'checking that he was still an acomplished occlumens'. The only reason why he remained so skilled at closing his mind was to stop her from finding out what he was really thinking.

Slowly but surely, he finished his message.

_Hermione, I'm not going back to Hogwarts in September. I can't face it.  
Wherever you're going, take me with you._

/\

_Little bit of a plot turn... poor Draco :(  
Thanks for reading! It's been over two years writing this now, I can't believe it's been so long! I suppose if I updated quicker it would've been done by now, but ah well x_


	30. Chapter 30

_Was hoping that I could steam ahead with this a little over April, as I have most of it off due to Easter holidays. Didn't happen. I'm finding this story such a chore to write, but I'm determined to finish it. Then I can work on my new ideas, which will probably progress a lot faster than this one. It's just so much effort looking at the book every two seconds and researching every tiny little thing. At least you know that all the facts are right!_

/\

"_**'To Miss Hermione Jean Granger, I leave my copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard, in the hope that she find it entertaining and instructive.'"**_

Hermione opened the front cover of the old book left to her by Dumbledore. There was a reason why he had given her this, she knew it.

/\

"Ginny, zip me up?"

Hermione pulled her hair away from her dress as Ginny pulled up the zip and did the button at the top. She was wearing a floaty, lilac-coloured dress with matching high heels; her hair was sleek and shiny.

"Thanks."

"I'm here, I'm here!"

An elderly witch was slowly ascending the stairs clutching a red leather box. It was Great Aunt Muriel, Hermione recognised her.

"I have the tiara, Ginevra dear, where is the bride?" she asked.

"Just through here..." Ginny said, pushing open her parents' bedroom door. Muriel glanced over her shoulder briefly before entering the room.

"Oh dear, is this the Muggle-born? Oh yes, bad posture and skinny ankles..." she muttered.

/\

"**Don't take it personally, she's rude to everyone," said Ron, showing Hermione to her seat.**

She looked around as she sat down, the marquee was almost full. Stood at the front was Bill and Charlie, both wearing dress robes with white roses in their buttonholes. The crowd fell silent as the music swelled, everyone turned in their seats to look at the entrance of the tent.

**A great collective sigh issued from the assembled witches and wizards as Monsieur Delacour and Fleur came walking up the aisle, Fleur gliding, Monsieur Delacour bouncing and beaming. Fleur was wearing a very simple white dress and seemed to be emitting a strong, silvery glow. While her radiance usually dimmed everyone else by comparision, today it beautified everybody it fell upon. Ginny and Gabrielle, both wearing golden dresses, looked even prettier than usual, and once Fleur had reached him, Bill did not look as though he had ever met Fenrir Greyback. **

"Do you, William Arthur Weasley, Take Fleur Isabelle Delacour..."

Hermione's attention waned in and out of the ceremony, as she studied the faces around her. Witches dabbing their eyes with hankies (Hermione spotted Mrs Weasley and Mrs Delacour sobbing quietly into scraps of lace); Ginny turning around and winking at Harry; Ron staring at his lap, looking as though he was trying to remain awake. She was perfectly contented. Her eyes filled with tears as the ceremony concluded.

"**... then I declare you bonded for life" **

**The tufty-haired wizard raised his wand high over the heads of Bill and Fleur and a shower of silver stars fell upon them, spiralling around their now entwined figures. As Fred and George led a round of applause, the golden balloons overhead burst: birds of paradise and tiny, golden bells flew and floated out on them, adding their songs and chimes to the din.**

"**Ladies and gentlemen!" called the tufty-haired wizard. "If you would please stand up!"**

Hermione rose out of her seat to find it swoop fluidly away as the marquee was transformed to become a simple canopy, with beautiful views across the sunlit orchard and surrounding countryside. **Next, a pool of molten gold spread across the centre of the tent to form a gleaming dance floor; the hovering chairs grouped themselves around small, white-clothed tables, which all floated gracefully back to earth around it, and the golden-jacketed band trooped towards a podium.**

"**Smooth," said Ron approvingly, as the waiters popped up on all sides, some bearing silver trays of pumpkin juice, Butterbeer and Firewhiskey, others tottering piles of tarts and sandwiches.**

"Do you ever think about anything other than food?" Hermione giggled as Ron took her arm and headed in the direction of one of the waiters.

"Not really." Ron smiled, passing her a Butterbeer.

"Krums here, by the way." he said as they found seats as far away from Aunt Muriel as possible. Harry, in disguise as 'Barny Weasley' had joined them, as well as Luna Lovgood.

"Yay." said Hermione, enthusiastically.

"C'mon, he's not that bad?"

"He's all right," Hermione said vaguely, as they applauded Bill and Fleur, who had taken to the floor for their first dance. They looked so happy. She watched them dreamily, ignoring the conversation at the table between the others. When the song ended, Ron stood up.

"Right you," he smiled at Hermione, holding his hand out. "Are you going to sit there all night, or are you going to come and dance?"

Hermione grinned happily and let Ron spin her clumsily around the dance floor for the next couple of songs, not caring what they looked like. She looked over her shoulder every so often to see if Harry was okay, spotting him with Krum and a wizard she assumed, by the pale blond hair and matching yellow dress robes, to be Luna's father. With each spin she watched as Krum and Mr Lovegood appeared to be arguing, with poor Harry trapped in the middle. At the end of the song she decided to rescue him.

"I'll go and get more Butterbeers" Ron told her, disappearing off to find a waiter.

Hermione found Harry sitting alone, so she drew up a chair and sat beside him.

"**I simply can't dance any more," she panted, slipping off one of her shoes and rubbing the sole of her foot. "Ron's gone looking to find more Butterbeers. It's a bit odd, I've just seen Viktor storming away from Luna's father, it looked like they'd been arguing -" she dropped her voices, staring at him. "Harry, are you OK?"**

She studied his face. Beneath the disguise of the Polyjuice Potion, she could see an expression that was familiar to her, very Harry. But it was mixed with an expression that almost appeared shocked. Harry remained speechless, staring out at nothing.

**At that moment, something large and silver came falling through the canopy over the dance floor. Graceful and gleaming, the lynx landed lightly in the middle of the astonished dancers. Heads turned, and those nearest froze, absurdly, in mid-dance. Then the Patronus's mouth opend wide and it spoke in the loud, deep, slow voice of Kingsley Shacklebolt.**

"_**The Ministry has fallen. Scrimgeour is dead. They are coming."**_

/\

_What am I thinking? I can't do this!_ Draco stared at the letter that he had just written. It was asking too much, it was putting everyone in danger. It was simply out of the question. He wasn't going to send it. He might not be running away with Hermione, but that certainly did not mean that he was going back to Hogwarts.

The parchment crumpled in his hands as Draco got up and walked towards the fireplace. He dropped it into the flames and watched as the edges blackened and the parchment caught fire. Within seconds, it was gone. He opened his bedroom window so that his owl could fly out into the night. _He won't tempt me to write another letter if I can't see him._

His pillow caught his head as he feel back onto his bedsheets. But sleep did not come. Draco stared up at the ceiling until the sun rose, casting light into his room.

He rolled out of bed, exhausted, and made his way to the kitchen. It was deserted except for his mother, who was perched on a chair at the kitchen table, bringing a teacup up to her lips.

"Where is everyone?" Draco asked, confused as to why the room was not crowded with Death Eaters, helping themselves to what they could find in the cupboards. He sat down opposite Narcissa.

"The Ministry, I think." Narcissa said in a quiet voice, staring into her cup of tea.

Oh yes, Draco remembered now. He recollected vaguely from their meetings (where he always sat in silence, willing it to be over), that the Dark Lord's plan was to bring down The Ministry of Magic with the help of insiders such as Pius Thicknesse. Simple.

It was at that moment that his father, Lucius Malfoy, came in to the room. He seemed slightly out of breath, and had a large gash above his left eye. Narcissa instantly got up and guided him to her seat, studying his wound carefully.

"How did it go?" Draco asked.

"Well." Lucius stated simply, catching his breath. "Went to the Weasley's little shed of a house after, his eldest's wedding or something. Potter and his friends escaped. Dark Lord's not too happy about that."

Just the news Draco needed to hear. Hermione was safe. If he had gone through with his plan to escape with her, the wedding would have been a perfect chance. He mentally kicked himself about it, but then remembered his decision that it was a terrible idea. He looked up from his thoughts to see his mother watching him. She was trying to work out what he was thinking.

"Well at least The Ministry is another step." Draco said, trying to cover his tracks. Lucius nodded in agreement. _Maybe next time._

/\

**Everything seemed fuzzy, slow. Harry and Hermione jumped to their feet and drew their wands. Many people were only just realising that something strange had happened; heads were still turning towards the silver cat as it vanished. Silence spread outwards in cold riipples from the place where the Patronus had landed.**

**Harry and Hermione threw themselves into the panicking crowd. Guests were sprinting in all directions; many were Disapparating: the protective enchantments around The Burrow had broken.**

"**Ron!" Hermione cried. "Ron, where are you?"**

They pushed their way across the dance floor as cloaked and masked figures materialised from nothing. Death Eaters. Hermione saw Lupin and Tonks raise their wands and shout '_Protego!_' which was echoed by other witches and wizards who weren't fleeing. Hermione began to panic as Ron eluded them.

"**Ron! Ron!" Hermione called, half sobbbing as she and Harry were buffeted by terrified guests: Harry seized her hand to make sure they weren't separated as a streak of light whizzed over their heads.**

**And then Ron was there. He caught hold of Hermione's free arm **and she raised her wand, concentrating as she blocked out the commotion around them. **Sight and sound were extinguished into darkness pressed in upon them, all Hermione could feel were Ron and Harry's hands as she was squeezed through space and time, away from The Burrow, away from the Death Eaters, away, perhaps, from Voldemort himself...**

There was one person that she wished with all her heart was not back at The Burrow. The sight of him would have simply broken her heart. But part of her had wished he'd been there, by her side. Protecting her.

"**Where are we?" said Ron's voice.**

**Hermione opened her eyes. For a moment she thought they had not left the wedding after all: they still seemed to be surrounded by people.**

"**Tottenham Court Road," panted Hermione. "Walk, just walk."**

She half dragged them through the mass of people, the roar of traffic. She felt her small beaded handbag by her side. She commended herself for being prepared for a swift exit from The Burrow. She had known that it would only be a matter of time before something broke the protective enchantments. The longer she and Ron remained with Harry, the more danger they would find themselves in. But that wasn't a problem. The problem was finding somewhere to hide.

/\

_Did you really think Draco would run away? Pfft. Maybe next time..._

_I love writing the Draco snapshots, can't deny. I always wondered what he got up to during Deathly Hallows so I thought I'd use my imagination._

_Anyhoo, thanks for reading :)_


	31. Chapter 31

_First year of university is over, I have no excuses any more. Don't have a job yet, so I have nothing better to do except play xbox, watch tv, and write fanfiction. This story has been going for three years, I will get it finished this summer. I will make myself do it._

/\

They ended up in a shabby looking square somewhere in the depths of London. They'd apparated there, of course, there was no way of finding it by wandering through the crowds in the West End.

**Tall dilapidated houses looked down on them from every side. Number twelve was visible to them, for they had been told of its existence by Dumbledore, its Secret Keeper, and they rushed towards it, checking every few yards that they were not being followed or observed. They raced up the stone steps and Harry tapped the front door once, with his wand. They heard a series of metallic clicks and the clatter of a chain. Then the door swung open and with a creak they hurried over the threshold. **

As the door closed behind them, the old-fashioned gas lamps sprang into life, casting flickering light along the hallway. It was just as Hermione remembered it. She looked around at the familiar paintings, peeling wallpaper and dusty staircase, only to notice the troll's leg umbrella stand lying on it's side as though Tonks had just knocked it over again.

"**I think somebody's been in here" Hermione whispered, pointing towards it.**

"**That could've happened as the Order left," Ron murmured back.**

"**So where are these jinxes they put up against Snape?" Harry asked.**

Harry took a step forward

"_Severus Snape?"_

**Mad-Eye Moody's voice whispered out of the darkness, making all three of them jump back in fright. "We're not Snape!" croaked Harry, before something whooshed over them like cold air.**

**Gingerly, Harry took another step forwards. Something shifted in the shadows at the end of the hall, and before any of them could say another word, a figure had risen up out of the carpet, tall, dust-coloured and terrible: Hermione screamed and so did Mrs Black, her curtains flying open; the grey figure was gliding towards them, faster and faster, its waist-length hair and beard streaming behind it, its face sunken, fleshless, with empty eye sockets; horribly familiar, dreadfully altered, it raised a wasted arm, pointing at Harry.**

"**No!" Harry shouted, and though he had raised his wand, no spell occurred to him. "No! It wasn't us! We didn't kill you -"**

The figure exploded in a great cloud of dust. Hermione coughed, her eyes watering. She realised that she was almost cowering by the door, so stood up. Ron brushed the dust from her. And then Mrs Black screamed.

"_Mudbloods, filth, stains of dishonour, taint of shame on the house of my fathers -"_

"**SHUT UP!" Harry bellowed, directing his wand at her, and with a bang and a burst of red sparks, the curtains swung shut again, silencing her.**

"Well that was weird." said Ron."What do you think that was for."

"To reveal human presence of course." stated Hermione. "Which means there's no-one here but us!"

"**Old Dusty," said Ron, glancing at the patch of carpet from which the corpse-figure had risen.**

Hermione nervously led the way to the drawing room, waving her wand to light the lamps when she was inside. She shivered, perching on the soda with her arms wrapped tightly around herself. **Ron crossed to the window and moved the heavy velvet curtain aside an inch.**

"**Can't see anyone out there," he reported. "And you'd think, if Harry still had the Trace on him, they'd have followed us here. I know they can't get in the house, but – what's up, Harry?"**

Hermione turned to see Harry clutching his forehead and squinting. He let out a cry of pain and stumbled backwards into the wall.

"What did you see?" Hermione asked frantically.

"Nothing. I just felt anger – he's really angry -"

"I hope he's not at The Burrow," said Ron. "You didn't see anything, did you? Not anyone? Was he cursing someone?"

"**No, I just felt anger – I couldn't tell -"**

Harry turned to examine the Black family tree on the wall, Ron resumed pacing the room. Hermione remained sat on the sofa, staring at the floor. And then she shrieked.

Harry drew his wand and spun around. A silver Patronus soared through the drawing-room window and landed upon the floor in front of them. It solidified into a weasel that spoke with the voice of Ron's father.

"_Family safe, do not reply, we are being watched."_

**The Patronus dissolved into nothingness. Ron let out a noise between a whimper and a groan and dropped onto the sofa, Hermione gripped his arm.**

"**They're all right, they're all right!" she whispered, and Ron half laughed and hugged her.**

/\

"If my parents knew I was here, they'd kill me!" Daphne Greengrass grinned, sitting down at the kitchen table at Malfoy Manor. Draco pushed a box of chocolates towards her, after helping himself to one.

"Where do they think you are?"

"Pansy's."

"Surely here is safer than Parkinson's house? Her mother is truly terrifying!" Draco chuckled.

"True." Daphne nodded.

Draco felt some comfort in having someone to talk to. Daphne had come round that afternoon, after sending him a note saying _"I'm coming to visit you, whether you like it or not." _With the Death Eaters being entertained by his father in the upstairs rooms and his mother out in the garden, they were perfectly alone.

"Have you decided whether you're coming to Hogwarts this year, or not?" Daphne asked.

Draco sighed.

"I don't know."

"Oh, come on, please? Do you really want to be cooped up here all year? Wouldn't you want to spend time with amazing people? Me, for example?" Daphne batted her eyelids at him. Draco laughed.

"I'll think about it."

Daphne smiled smugly and helped herself to another chocolate. The kitchen door opened and Narcissa stepped into the room, looking slightly flustered.

"They need you upstairs, Draco."

Draco's smile faded.

"Okay" he mumbled.

"I best be leaving, anyway." Daphne said, getting to her feet.

"I'm really sorry, Daph." Draco said, going to the fireplace and passing her the urn that contained Floo Powder.

"It's fine, really." she replied, taking a handful of the green glittering powder from him and stepping into the grate.

When she disappeared, Narcissa ushered Draco out of the room, an apologetic look upon her face.

/\

Hermione noticed that Harry was clutching his forehead again, but pretended not to notice. He was sat opposite her, flicking through a book. She and Ron were talking about sleeping arrangements.

"**I don't want to be on my own. Could be use the sleeping bags I've brought and camp here tonight?"**

"Erm, yeah, sure." Ron replied, looking up as Harry got to his feet.

"Bathroom." Harry muttered, rushing out of the room.

/\

**Harry barely made it: bolting the door behind him with trembling hands, he grasped his pounding head and fell onto the floor, then, in an explosion of agony, he felt the rage that did not belong to him possess his soul, saw a long room, lit only by firelight, and the great, blond Death Eater on the floor, screaming and writhing, and a slighter figure standing over him, wand outstretched, while Harry spoke in a high, cold, merciless voice.**

"**More, Rowle, or shall we end it and feed you to Nagini? Lord Voldemort is not sure that he will forgive this time … You called me back for this, to tell me that you couldn't find Harry Potter after he escaped again? Draco, give Rowle another taste of our displeasure … do it, or feel my wrath yourself!"**

**A log fell in the fire: flames reared, their light darting across a terrified, pointed white face – with a sense of emerging from deep water, Harry drew deep breaths and opened his eyes.**

/\

Draco dragged himself up the main staircase, along the hallway until he reached his room. His bones felt heavy, but his mind felt empty. He pushed the door open and closed himself inside. Away from what had just happened.

He fell back onto his bed and his eyelids fell shut. His mind instantly jumped to the sight of Rowle twisting on the floor, and his eyes shot open again. He stared at the ceiling.

After a time there was a knock at the door, and his father came in clutching a tray.

"Your mother asked me to bring this," setting the food on Draco's bedside table. "Are you okay?"

Draco sat up at brushed his hair out of his eyes.

"Yeah, fine."

Lucius Malfoy studied his son's face. He passed him a mug of coffee from the tray.

"Dad?"

"Yes?"

"I want to go back to Hogwarts in September."

/\

Hermione had a somewhat pleasant night's sleep. Ron, in a fit of gallantry, had insisted she sleep one the sofa cushions instead of the floor. She awoke to the soft sounds of Ron's snores, noticing that Harry was nowhere to be seen. She quietly rose to her feet and left the room. She first checked the kitchen, but he wasn't there.

"Hermione?"

Ron had woken up. She returned to the drawing-room to find him.

"Where's Harry?" Ron asked, puzzled.

"I don't know."

Hermione started to worry. Ron suggested that they look upstairs. Slowly climbing the staircase, each step creaked as they ascended. They searched the empty rooms, until Hermione reached a door bearing the nameplate _Sirius._ He must be in here. Hermione pushed the door open to reveal a ransacked room. Harry was sat on the floor by the bed.

"**What have you been doing?" she asked.**

"**Look what I've just found."**

Harry revealed a letter written to Sirius by his mother, the second page was missing. As she reached the end of Lily's message, Hermione looked up at Harry.

"**Oh, Harry ..."**

"**And there's this, too."**

**He handed her a torn photograph, and Hermione smiled at a baby Harry zooming in and out of sight on a toy broom.**

"**I've been looking for the rest of the letter," Harry said, "but it's not here."**

**Hermione glanced around.**

"**Did you make all this mess, or was some of it done when you got here?"**

"**Someone had searched before me," said Harry.**

"**I thought so. Every room I looked into on the way up had been disturbed. What where they after do you think?"**

"**Information on the Order, if it was Snape."**

Ron appeared at the door, his hands in his pockets. He nudged a book that was on the floor with his toe.

"Didn't we use this at school?"

Hermione looked down at the battered cover of _A History of Magic._

"Bathilda Bagshot … Harry, doesn't your mum mention her in the letter?"

"**Yes, and she's still alive," said Harry, "and she lives in Godric's Hollow, Ron's Auntie Muriel was talking about her at the wedding. She knew Dumbledore's family too. Be pretty interesting to talk to, wouldn't she?"**

Hermione smiled sadly at Harry's face looking up at her.

"**I understand why you'd love to talk to her about your mum and dad, and Dumbledore too," she said. "But, that wouldn't really help us in our search for the Horcruxes, would it?" Harry did not answer, and she rushed on, "Harry, I know you really want to go to Godric's Hollow, but I'm scared … I'm scared at how easily those Death Eater's managed to infiltrate The Burrow yesterday. It just makes me feel more than ever that we ought to avoid the place where your parents are buried, I'm sure they'd he expecting you to visit it."**

Harry got to his feet and nodded silently, avoiding eye contact with Hermione. She felt a pang of guilt.

"**Shall we go down to the kitchen?" Hermione suggested after a little pause. "Find something for breakfast?"**

Hermione followed Ron out onto the landing, past another door that lead off it. As she walked past she noticed scratch marks on the paintwork and a small sign, lettered by hand, that she had not seen earlier when searching for Harry.

_Do Not Enter  
Without the Express Permission of  
Regulus Arcturus Black_

"R.A.B." Harry whispered quietly, stopping next to her to also read the sign. Ron, who was now at the top of the stairs, turned around."

"What?"

"I think," Hermione said, "I think we've found R.A.B."

/\

_Thanks for reading! I'll try and update soon. I hope everything makes sense, I feel like I'm condensing Deathly Hallows a little bit...  
Until next time! x_


	32. Chapter 32

_Hello again, here's another chapter :)_

/\

Draco had no idea how his parents managed it, but on 1st September he found himself pushing a trolley of his belongings through the brick wall to Platform 9 ¾. His father must have bullshitted about having more people stationed in Hogwarts in case Harry Potter turned up, or something to that extent.

His mother was the only one to say goodbye, his father elsewhere. Narcissa chatted to Mrs Greengrass and Mrs Zabini as he found his usual compartment on the Hogwarts Express.

"Ah, so Mr Enigma decides to show his face," Blaise grinned as Draco pulled the compartment door open. "I was beginning to think you weren't going to turn up!"

Blaise patted Draco's back as he sat down next to him. Draco looked around to see Theo, Daphne, Pansy and Astoria smiling back at him. He instantly felt relief. There was no pressure put upon him by these people. They were simply his friends.

For the first time in what seemed forever, Draco was relaxed and happy. There was only one thing missing. Hermione. How he longed to be able to walk down the train carriage to find her sat with her friends. To see her catch his eye and smile. Merlin knows where she was now.

The train chugged along through the countryside and the Slytherins caught up with one another. Draco seemed to have missed a lot during his incarceration in Malfoy Manor. The Trolley Lady turned up and they all bought pumpkin pasties.

"Is it me, or is the train slowing down?" Theo said, through a mouthful of food.

Draco looked up. The train was indeed, slowing down.

"I'll go and find out what's going on."

Draco got up as the train came to a complete standstill and opened the compartment door. Other people where sticking their heads out into the corridor to see what was going on. Draco walked confidently up towards the front of the train, ignoring the looks he received from people. He marched through to Carriage A, opening the door to find a group of Gryffindors all sat together. And someone else who he was shocked to see.

"Selwyn?"

The rough voiced Death Eater greeted him, frowning.

"Why are you here?"

"Potter."

"He's not here!" Draco turned around to see that Neville Longbottom had got to his feet. Neville spurt of confidence had seemed to shock even himself, and he hastily sat down again.

Selwyn didn't seem convinced.

"I'm searching the train." he said.

"Listen to Longbottom, he's right. Harry Potter is not on this train." Draco said sternly.

"I don't have to be told what's what by some kid." Selwyn growled.

"Look," said Draco. "I think it'd be obvious is Potter was on this train, wouldn't it?"

Draco stepped closer and lowered his voice.

"It's my duty to remain at Hogwarts to make sure he doesn't turn up unnoticed. If he was on this train, I would have let the Dark Lord know about it."

Selwyn grumbled and turned on his heel. Draco watched from the window as the gruff Death Eater climbed from the train and disapparated.

"Thanks, Malfoy." He looked around as Ginny thanked him, she smiled earnestly. He nodded and returned to his compartment.

/\

The Hogwarts Express was soon to arrive at its destination; Draco and his friends were changing into their robes.

"Wait... you're a Ravenclaw?" Draco said, confused. Astoria nodded. The younger Greengrass slipped a blue and bronze tie around her neck.

"Of course she's a Ravenclaw, I've told you that countless times Draco!" Daphne interjected, hitting her friend's shoulder playfully.

"Sorry... I don't get why I never noticed..."

"It's okay," Astoria blushed.

/\

"**I am Remus John Lupin, werewolf, sometimes known as Moony, one of the four creators of the Marauder's Map, married to Nymphadora, usually known as Tonks, and I taught you how to produce a Patronus, Harry, which takes the form of a stag."**

"**Oh, all right," said Harry, lowering his wand, "but I had to check, didn't I?"**

"Oh Remus!" Hermione ran forward and hugged him, relieved. "It's good to know you're safe!"

She drew him into the house, away from Mrs Black's portrait who, until moments ago, had been screeching at the top of her voice. **Wrapped in a thick, black travelling cloak, he looked exhausted, but pleased to see them. **

"Is everyone OK?" Ron asked.

"**Yes," said Lupin, "but we're all being watched. There are a couple of Death Eaters in the square outside -"**

"**- we know -"**

"**- I had to Apparate very precisely on to the top step outside the front door to be sure that they would not see me. They can't know you're in here or I'm sure they'd have more people out there; they're staking out everywhere that's got any connection with you, Harry. Let's go downstairs, there's a lot to tell you and I want to know what happened after you left The Burrow."**

/\

Remus Lupin was not the only visitor to Number 12, Grimmauld Place that day. A few hours later, a certain Mundungus Fletcher made an appearance. The last person they knew to have had the Slytherin Locket.

"**When you stripped this house of all the valuables you could find," Harry said assertively, "you took a bunch of stuff from the kitchen cupboard. There was a locket there. What did you do with it?"**

"**Why?" asked Mundungus. "Is it valuable?"**

"**You've still got it!" cried Hermione.**

"**No, he hasn't," said Ron shrewdly. "He's wondering whether he should have asked more money for it."**

"**More?" said Mundungus. "That wouldn't have been effing difficult … bleeding gave it away, di'n' I? No choice."**

"**What do you mean?" **

"**I was selling in Diagon Alley an' she come up to be an' asks if I've got a licence for trading in magical artefacts. Bleedin' snoop. She was gonna fine me, but she took a fancy to the locket an' told be she'd take it and let me off that time an' to fink meself lucky."**

"**Who was this woman?" asked Harry.**

"**I dunno, some Ministry hag."**

**Mundungus considered for a moment, brow wrinkled.**

"**Little woman. Bow on top of 'er head."**

**He frowned and then added, "Looked like a toad."**

The trio looked at each other. They knew exactly who Mundungus was talking about.

/\

Snape was headmaster. Draco didn't know why he was surprised. It's not like they could leave McGonagall in charge. The Carrow siblings, Amycus and Alecto, were now professors of 'Dark Arts' and Muggle Studies respectively. Draco doubted that the lesson content would be similar to what they'd studied in previous years. The other Slytherins seemed somewhat nonchalant about this staff change, it made Draco uneasy. Having Snape as headmaster was no problem in his eyes, but the presence of two other Death Eaters complicated things. Was he expected to act more Death Eater-ly now that The Carrows were here? He felt like pressure was put upon him again, just like it had been at home. He supposed that as soon as the feast was over, he could return to his common room, out of sight.

As soon as they were dismissed, Draco and his friends rose and left the Great Hall. Draco found himself walking down the dungeon steps with Astoria Greengrass.

"Isn't your common room upstairs?"

"Yes, that doesn't stop me from coming down to visit Daph in the dungeons though."

"Merlin, Draco, you're so unobservant." Daphne said over her shoulder, turning around and punching him in the shoulder. Again. "Asty had been coming into the Slytherin common room since her first year."

Daphne held herself back until she was level with him.

"There are other females out there apart from those with bushy brown hair, you know." She grinned mischievously. "Stunningly beautiful women, like me." she grinned, swishing her long straight hair over her shoulder.

Draco couldn't help but laugh. There was the quiet tinkling of Astoria's giggle too. Draco smiled to himself as Pansy uttered the password and they entered the common room.

/\

Hermione swirled her spoon around in the bowl of soup that Kreacher had just given her. Ron was already wolfing his portion down, dipping large chunks of bread into it. Harry entered the kitchen and collapsed into the seat opposite her.

"Anything exciting happen today?"

"**Nothing," said Harry. "Watched the Ministry entrance for seven hours. No sign of her. Saw your dad, though, Ron. He looks fine."**

**Ron nodded his appreciation of this news. They had agreed that it was far too dangerous to try to communicate with Mr Weasley while he walked in and out of the Ministry, because he was always surrounded by other Ministry workers. It was, however, reassuring to catch these glimpses of him, even if he did look very strained and anxious.**

"**Dad always told us most Ministry people use the Floo Network to get to work," Ron said. "That's why we haven't seen Umbridge, she'd never walk, she'd think that she's too important."**

"Well then, we'll just have to find a way to get into the Ministry and find her." Hermione couldn't quite believe the works were coming out of her mouth. It was her suggesting the dangerous option this time. Her.

"Polyjuice Potion?"

/\

Hermione opened her eyes and was dazzled by gold and green; she had no idea what had happened, she only knew that she was lying on what seemed to be leaves and twigs. **Struggling to draw breath into lungs that felt flattened, she blinked and realised that the gaudy glare was sunlight streaming through a canopy of leaves far above her.**

They had made it. They had infiltrated the Ministry, got the locket, and escaped. Almost everything had gone according to plan. _Almost. _They should have returned to Grimmauld Place but, thanks to the Death Eater, Yaxley, it was no longer an option.

"Erm, Hermione?"

Hermione sat up and turned around at the sound of Harry's voice. And then she saw Ron.

**The moment her eyes fell upon Ron, all other concerns fled Hermione's mind, for blood drenched the whole of Ron's left side and his face stood out, greyish white, against the leaf-strewn earth. The Polyjuice Potion was wearing off now: Ron was halfway between Cattermole and himself in appearance, his hair turning redder and redder as his face drained of the little colour it had left.**

"**What's happened to him?" Harry asked.**

"**Splinched." said Hermione, kneeling down, her fingers already busy at Ron's sleeve, where the blood was wettest and darkest. **

"**Harry, quickly, in my bag, there's a small bottle labelled _Essence of Dittany _-"**

"_**Accio dittany!"**_

**A small brown bottle zoomed out of the bad; Harry caught it and hastened back to Hermione and Ron, whose eyes were now half-closed, strips of white eyeball all that was visible between his lids.**

"**He's fainted," said Hermione, who was also rather pale. She no longer looked like Mafalda, though her hair was still grey in places. "Unstopper it for me, Harry, my hands are still shaking."**

**Harry wrenched the stopper off the little bottle, Hermione took it and poured three drops of the potion on the bleeding wound. Greenish smoke billowed upwards and when it had cleared, Hermione saw that the bleeding had stopped. The wound now looked several says old; new skin stretched over what had just been open flesh.**

"**Wow." said Harry.**

The two of them watched for a couple of minutes, until Ron's eyes slowly fluttered open. Hermione threw herself upon him.

"Oh Ron! You scared me half to death!"

/\

"Apparently, Potter's been spotted at the Ministry." Blaise Zabini said, his eyes looking up at Draco from the _Daily Prophet._

"Let me see that." Draco said.

Blaise passed him the paper across the Slytherin table in the Great Hall. Draco's eyes scanned the text for one name, and one name only. But it wasn't there. But she'd been in the Ministry, that he knew. And escaped. Draco felt hopeful again.

"Oh Hermione," he muttered to himself, staring at the newspaper. "I hope you know what you're doing."

/\

_I'm just having so much fun writing the Draco sections, I don't know why. Daphne's character is really developing too. I wanted to create a counterpart for Draco, someone who is the opposite sex but also his equal. Not to say that Hermione isn't his equal, but Daphne seems to just be Draco in female form. And I like that._

_Anyway, thanks for reading! Please review x_


	33. Chapter 33

_Back again! I'm actually sort of keeping to my promise of updating regularly-ish! In other news, I whored myself out on Tumblr and have a few more readers. Hi there new people!_

/\

Hermione was feeling miserable. They had pitched Perkins' old tent up in the forest and spent a couple of days plotting their next move. It was Hermione's turn to wear Slytherin's locket, and she could feel it pulling her down. The chain was hanging heavily around her neck and making every movement more awkward.

"Here, let me have it." Ron said, noticing her dampened spirits. Hermione nodded and pulled the necklace off.

**Harry and Hermione felt that is was best not to stay anywhere too long, and Ron agreed, with the sole proviso that their next move took them within reach of a bacon sandwich. Hermione therefore removed the enchantments she had placed around the clearing, while Harry and Ron obliterated all the marks and impressions on the ground that might show they had camped there. Then they disapparated to the outskirts of a small market town. **Hermione had suggested the location. Highworth. Her mind was pulling herself back to the town, back to Draco. Like if she decided to go to the muggle shops she may bump into him again. But that was wishful thinking. She didn't have any idea where he was right now; she didn't even know whether he had returned to Hogwarts or not.

They settled a few miles outside of the town in a woodland area. **Once they had pitched the tent in the shelter of the small copse of trees, and surrounded it with freshly cast defensive enchantments, **Hermione went out in search of food. But it was fruitless. Venturing into Highworth, muggle town or not, was not the best of ideas. Especially when they were so close to Malfoy Manor. If Voldemort knew where they were now, he would be beside himself.

"**So we still haven't got any food?"**

"No, Ron."

/\

Classes were in full swing and Draco wasn't particularly enjoying the new curriculum. But it was better than being at home.

He found himself lying on his stomach on the common room floor, helping Astoria with her potions homework. It wasn't hard, the work was fresh in his mind from last year. Potions was one of the few lessons he regularly attended.

Astoria's quill scratched away as he flipped through her copy of _Advanced Potion Making. _Daphne lay on one of the sofa with her feet rested on Theo's lap, while he played a game of chess against Blaise. Around them was the quiet buzz of other Slytherins, the room was bathed in a green glow.

He still heard murmurs of his name as people talked about his father behind his back. Why wouldn't they? It was pretty common knowledge that Lucius was a Death Eater, replacing the speculation that had circulated in previous years, prior to the Dark Lord's return. Due to this, other students saw Draco as some kind of threat. Crabbe and Goyle hadn't returned to Hogwarts, choosing to join their fathers. Theo's father was a Death Eater too, but he had made the decision long ago to keep his son away from the Dark Lord. Theo tended to prefer being by himself anyway, when his father was away he had the house to himself (his mother had died when he was young). He spent that time reading – Draco would often visit to find books piled all over the house, with bookshelves so high that Draco was surprised even Theo could reach anything (he was considerably taller than Draco) without the aid of a ladder. He seemed to read more than Hermione, if that was possible.

Draco looked up to see the common room entrance open, and Pansy wander in. Her eyes met with his, and her expression changed from blank to somewhat irritated.

"Draco?" she said. "Can I speak to you for a minute?"

Draco stood up and brushed the dust from the floor off his trousers. Pansy took his arm and lead him a few metres away from the group.

"I see you're spending a lot of time with Astoria." There was a hint of accusation in her voice.

"Erm, yeah. I'm helping her with her potions homework, it's just some stuff on -"

"I don't think that's the best idea." Pansy snapped.

Draco was extremely confused.

"What?"

"I think you should spend less time with her and more time with me, you love me."

"Again. What?"

"You spending time with Astoria is making me jealous, Draco." Pansy ran one hand down Draco's arm and tried to hold his hand. He jerked his arm away.

"Pansy, what are you doing? What do you think is going on?"

She looked up at him innocently.

"You think now Hermione is gone, I want you."

Pansy smiled.

"Pansy, get this into your thick skull. I don't fancy you." his voice had raised from a hushed tone to something rather too loud. Other people in the common room were starting to look at them.

"What?" Pansy's voice quivered.

"I love Hermione Granger. Herm-i-o-ne. I do not love Astoria, or Daphne or you, or anyone else. Please stop."

Pansy let out a loud "hmph" noise and stomped off to the girls' dormitories. Draco returned to the group, who all pretended that they hadn't heard the exchange. Daphne had a copy of the _Daily Prophet_ up to her face, trying to disguise a giggle. Draco sat down on the floor again.

"Sorry about that, Astoria, where were we?"

"Actually, I need to go. Erm... sorry... I -" Astoria muttered, collecting up her things and putting them in her bag. Before Draco could protest, Astoria had already hurried to the common room door and left.

/\

_"**'One simple incantation and you will enter a top-quality, highly realistic thirty-minute daydream, easy to fit into the average school lesson and virtually undetectable (side effects include vacant expression and minor drooling). Not for sale to under-sixteens.' You know," **Hermione said, looking up at Harry and Ginny, "that really is extraordinary magic!"_

_"**For that, Hermione," said a voice behind them, "you can have one for free."**_

Hermione stared at the box in front of her. She rolled her eyes at the picture of a handsome youth and a swooning girl stood on a pirate ship. And yet, she was tempted to try it out...

She had not forgotten her gift from Fred and George, given to her all that time ago in their shop. But she didn't know why she'd held onto it for so long. She didn't like throwing things away that she thought could be useful. And now, alone in the tent as Ron and Harry sat outside, it was the time. She needed an escape.

She opened the box, followed the instructions and lay back in one of the camp beds. Her eyelids felt heavy and they soon drooped closed.

She felt light shine upon her closed eyes, so opened them hastily. She was no longer in the cramped Perkins tent, but by a window in Hogwarts castle, looking out at the grounds. She turned around and came to realise that she was in the library. She sighed with relief. _Home._

To anyone else, this would seem like quite a boring daydream, but to Hermione it was brilliant. She enjoyed the quiet as she paced up and down the different cases of books. She began pulling huge tomes from the shelves and placing them at a table near one of the windows. Pulling up a chair, she settled and began to read. The sun still shone defiantly through the window, a stark contrast to the usual grey clouds of Scotland. Her mind was at ease – no Horcruxes, no Voldemort, no tent. It was just her and books. And someone else.

"Hermione Granger, you are just so predictable. Of course you're in the library."

Hermione looked up from her reading to find Draco grinning at her. She let out a small squeak and lept to her feet, throwing her arms around him. Draco was taken aback, before chuckling into her ear.

"All right, calm down," he said, "you're acting like you haven't seen me in months!"

"But I haven't?"

Hermione pulled away to look at his face. His brow was furrowed.

"Erm, I saw you this morning at breakfast?"

Hermione remembered that she was in a daydream and smiled weakly.

"Oh yeah... of course."

There was something quite saddening about walking down the corridors hand in hand with Draco. She was overjoyed to be with him, but the blurriness around the edges of this alternate reality reminded her that it was a dream. She wasn't really with him.

"Cheer up." Draco said playfully, bringing her hand up to his lips and kissing it.

He lead her down the main staircase and out of the front doors. They were greeted with the warmth of the sun. Hermione squinted as she looked out across the grounds, wondering where Draco was taking her. He lead her around the shores of the lake, until they came to a blanket spread out on the grass.

"Now," Draco said. "Sit down and relax. Don't worry that pretty little head of yours."

Hermione obeyed, and Draco sat down next to her.

They looked out across the water, watching as the giant squid came up to the lake's surface to bask in the warmth. Draco lay back against the blanket and put his hands behind his head. Hermione turned her head and watched him.

"What?"

"Nothing" Hermione said innocently, smiling.

Draco took one hand from behind his head and grabbed her waist, pulling her down next to him. Hermione giggled. She rested her head in the crook of his arm.

"So," Draco said, pauding to tilt his head and kiss the top of hers. "What's the plan for tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow?"

"You know, the Hogsmeade trip? I was thinking that we could get some breakfast here, then mosey on down into the village and have a look around the shops. Maybe meet Harry, Ron, Ginny, Blaise and Daph in the Three Broomsticks? Anything my head girl wants."

"Head girl?" Hermione mumbled to herself. She touched her chest to feel a silver badge pinned to her robes. A tear escaped the corner of her eye and she wiped it away. She rested her hand on Draco's chest and looked blankly up at the sky. He took her hand in his own and squeezed it tightly.

/\

Hermione snapped out of her daydream when she heard raised voices coming from the entrance area of the tent.

"**It's not like I'm having the time of my life here," said Ron, "you know, with my arm mangled and nothing to eat and freezing my backside off every night. I just hoped, you know, after a we'd been running around for a few weeks, we'd have achieved something."**

"**I thought you knew what she signed up for," said Harry.**

"**Yeah, I thought I did too."**

"**So what part of it isn't living up to your expectations?" asked Harry. "Did you think you'd be staying in five star hotels? Finding a Horcrux every other day? Did you think you'd be back to Mummy by Christmas?"**

Hermione didn't know what to do. She just stared at her two best friends, dumbfounded.

"**We thought you knew what you were doing!" shouted Ron. "We thought Dumbledore had told you what to do, we thought you had a real plan!"**

"Well, I'm sorry I let you down." spat Harry. "If you haven't forgotten, we've already found a Horcrux..."

"**Yeah, and we're about as near to getting rid of it as we are to finding the rest of them – nowhere effing near, in other words!"**

"**Take off the locket, Ron," Hermione said, her voice unusually high. "Please take it off. You wouldn't be talking like this if you hadn't been wearing it all this time."**

"**Yeah he would," said Harry.**

Hermione turned around and shot him a dangerous look.

"Don't think I haven't spotted you two whispering behind my back."

"Harry, it wasn't like that! We weren't -"

Hermione could feel the tears flowing freely down her face now, she was unable to hold them back any longer.

"Don't lie, Hermione." Run turned on her. "You said you were disappointed, that you thought Harry had a bit more to go on than -"

"**I didn't say it like that – Harry I didn't!" she cried.**

**The rain was pounding the tent, tears were pouring down Hermione's face. The sword of Gryffindor was hidden and they knew not where, and they were three teenagers in a tent whose only achievements was not, yet, to be dead.**

"**So why are you still here?" Harry asked Ron.**

"**Search me." said Ron.**

"**Go home then," said Harry.**

"**Yeah, maybe I will!" shouted Ron.**

He unzipped his jacket and wrenched the locket from around his neck. Hermione hoped that this would make him come to his senses, but it didn't. He looked around the tent for his rucksack and, after picking it up, marched out of the tent.

"Ron, no!" Hermione wailed, running out into the rain after him.

**After a few minutes she returned, her sopping hair plastered to her face.**

"**He's g – g – gone! Disapparated!"**

/\

_Ooh, er. Not the nicest of chapter endings..._

_Thanks for reading! X _


	34. Chapter 34

_Back again! Good news everyone, I bought myself a new laptop. It makes life a million times easier, I've been having fun typing away on a brand new keyboard. Yay :)_

/\

It was a relief to have a break from the heavy workload of seventh year, but Draco was somewhat dreading returning home for Christmas. He sat in silence on the Hogwarts Express - the girls chatted, Theo was reading another book, Blaise was reading the _Daily Prophet_. The train chugged along through the fading light of the wintery afternoon. But somewhere in Yorkshire, the Hogwarts Express started to slow down.

"Not again." muttered Draco.

He rose out of his seat and pulled the compartment door open. He marched up the train, just as he had done in September. But before he even reached Carriage A, Draco stopped in his tracks. He saw the hooded cloaks of Death Eaters at the door of one of the compartments. There was some sort of scuffle, before a girl with long, pale blonde hair was escorted out. He recognised her as one of Hermione's friends, Luna Lovegood. Selwyn was once again in charge of the operation - he glanced over his shoulder as the group of Death Eaters left with Luna.

"Nothing to see here, Malfoy." he said gruffly.

/\

Hermione found herself lying in bed, staring blankly at the roof of the tent. Things weren't the same since Ron left. It was like all the happiness had been sucked out of her and Harry. It was bad enough being away from Draco, but without Ron she felt empty. She huddled close to Harry as they travelled from place to place, trying to formulate a plan.

That morning, she and Harry ate breakfast in silence.** Hermione's eyes were puffy and red; she looked as though she had not slept. They packed up their things, Hermione dawdling. **Harry understood why. Part of Hermione hoped that, due to the fact they had returned to the place they camped the night Ron left, he may appear. Several times she looked up eagerly when she deluded herself into thinking she heard footsteps through the heavy rain. Harry hugged her, before taking her hand and disapparating.

/\

**"Hermione?"**

**"Hm?"**

**"I've been thinking. I - I want to go to Godric's Hollow."**

/\

It was late afternoon when they took their Polyjuice Potion. **Harry transformed into a balding, middle-aged Muggle man, Hermione into his rather small and mousy wife. The beaded bag and all their possessions (apart from the Horcrux, which Harry was wearing around his neck) was tucked into an inside pocket of Hermione's buttoned up coat. Harry lowered the Invisibility Cloak over them, then they turned into the suffocating darkness once again.**

/\

Hermione was feeling rather uncomfortable. After reaching Godric's Hollow, visiting the graveyard and trying to work out the symbol Hermione recognised from her copy of _The Tales of Beedle the Bard_, they had been invited by the hooded figure of Bathilda Bagshot to her house.

**Bathilda shuffled past them, pushing Hermione aside as though she had not seen her, and vanished into what seemed to be like a sitting room.**

**"Harry, I'm not sure about this," breathed Hermione.**

Bathilda took Harry upstairs, Hermione was left in the dark and damp hallway. She tried not to inhale too deeply, there was a horrible smell, as though the house had not been cleaned for years. There was a small sideboard, housing a collection of photographs. She inspected a portrait of two young men, arms folded and smirking slightly. The one on the left had a crooked nose and twinkling eyes. It could not be anyone else. She did not recognise the other.

She heard a loud thud from upstairs.

"Harry?"

There was no reply. Just another thud. Hermione rushed upstairs to find a large snake, holding Harry in a death-like grip. She stunned what she now realised to be Nagini, and pulled Harry free. Nagini reared up to strike again, Hermione shrieked as she dived out of the way: **her deflected curse hit the curtained window, which shattered. Frozen air filled the room as Hermione ducked to avoid another shower of broken glass. **Her foot slipped on a pencil-like something and she looked down to see what it was. She snatched up Harry's wand and grabbed his arm.

**"He's coming! **_**Hermione, he's coming!"**_

**As he yelled, the snake fell, hissing wildly as it was struck by shards of glass. Everything was chaos: Nagini smashed shelves from the wall and splintered china flew everywhere. **

Harry grabbed Hermione's hand and dragged her towards the icy wind and flapping moth-eaten curtains. They jumped out of the smashed window, Hermione's scream reverberated through the night as they twisted in mid-air...

/\

_"Hermione!"_

Hermione woke up with a start. She had been curled up under her blankets in her bunk, a bowl in front of her with bluebell flames conjured in it. So much for keeping watch. She looked up at Harry, pushing her hair out of her face.

**"What's wrong? Harry? Are you all right?"**

**"It's okay, everything's fine. More than fine. I'm great. There's someone here."**

**"What do you mean? Who -"**

**She saw Ron, who stood there holding the sword and dripping onto the threadbare carpet. **She couldn't believe what she was seeing. It couldn't be real.

**Hermione slid out of her bunk and moved like a sleepwalker towards Ron, her eyes upon his pale face. She stopped right in front of him, her lips slightly parted, her eyes wide. Ron gave a weak, hopeful smile and half-raised his arms.**

**Hermione launched herself forwards and started punching every inch of him that she could reach.**

**"Ouch - ow - gerroff! What the -? Hermione - OW!"**

**"You - complete - **_**arse **_**- Ronald - Weasley!"**

/\

A strong breeze whistled around the hills as three figures appeared from nowhere.

**"Aha!" shouted Ron, as the wind whipped their hair and clothes. Ron was pointing upwards, towards the top of the hill on which they had appeared, where a most strange-looking house rose vertically against the sky, a great, black cylinder with a whostly moon hanging beside it in the afternoon sky. "That's got to be Luna's house, who else would live in a place like that? It looks like a giant rook!"**

**"It's nothing like a bird," said Hermione, frowning at the tower.**

**"I was talking about a chess rook," said Ron. "A castle to you."**

**Ron's legs were longest and he reached the top of the hill first. When Harry and Hermione caught up with him, panting and clutching their stitches in their sides, they found him grinning broadly.**

**"It's theirs," said Ron. "Look.**

**Three hand-painted signs had been tacked to a broken-down gate. The first read **_**'The Quibbler. Editor: X. Lovegood',**_** the second, **_**'Pick Your Own Mistletoe', **_**the third **_**'Keep Off the Dirigible Plums'**_**.**

/\

Draco was sitting at his desk, working on an Arithmancy essay. He was struggling, hoping in vain that Hermione would appear out of thin air and help him. He racked his brains as he scrawled down calculations on a scrap of paper.

There was only a few days left of the holidays, and Draco couldn't wait to pack up his things and return to school. Times were harsh at Hogwarts, everything felt like a strict regime. But Draco had some relief - the Carrows seemed to favour him and his friends due to his ties to the Dark Lord. This meant that he had a small amount of freedom. They were allowed out in the grounds far away enough from the castle that there were no prying eyes of staff members. Not that he and his friends were up to anything bad, it was just nice to not have people staring at you constantly.

It was Harry Potter's remaining friends at Hogwarts who received the most supervision, especially after Ginny Weasley and Neville Longbottom attempted to get into the headmaster's office. They were punished greatly by the Carrows for that. Apparently they were after the sword of Gryffindor, but Draco had no idea why. There was outrage within the Dark Lord's inner circle after this. Draco had picked up from the few meetings he attended during the Christmas period that they suspected they were operating under Harry's orders. He didn't spend much time downstairs that Christmas, locking himself in his room out of harm's way. Spending hours poring over textbooks and essays. At least it was good for his education.

Finally giving in, because he just couldn't cope any more, Draco got up, crossed the room, and flopped onto his bed. Before he could close his eyes, there was a knock at the door.

"Yeah?"

The door clicked open and his father walked in.

"Hi, Dad." Draco said, sitting up.

"Hi son."

"What's up?"

"Well," Lucius sighed, sitting at the edge of the bed and looking at Draco. "I've been sent to talk to you about next term. The Dark Lord feels that, due to the good job the Carrow's are doing at Hogwarts, you're no longer needed there. I tried to make him see differently, so did Severus, but he won't change his mind. He wants you here."

The colour drained from Draco's already pale face. His stomach sank and his head drooped into his hands. Lucius patted his back.

"I'm really sorry, Draco, but looks like you can't go back. I don't know, if you want to carry on studying, maybe we can hire a tutor."

"It's not that," Draco said. "It's being cooped up here in house full of strangers and people I don't particularly like. Everyone sees me as this little kid. Even Crabbe and Goyle won't give me the time of day. I don't fit in here, I don't want to be a Death Eater. I never did."

"It is a great honour to serve The Dark Lord, Draco." Lucius said sharply.

"Whatever." Draco said, getting to his feet, not looking back at his father. He picked up his cloak, it was hanging on the back of the bedroom door, and put it on. "I'm going for a walk."

Lucius watched his son leave, slamming the door in his face.

"Don't be too long." he said weakly.

/\

_I'm sorry this update is shorter than usual, sometimes I feel if I put everything in I'd just be rewriting Deathly Hallows. Which is pointless because you already know what happens. And you just want to get back to the Dramione goodness anyway. Malfoy Manor is coming up, don't worry! ;)_

_Soon we will be done with this story, soon. Not sure if I can guarantee a quick update, off to my Dad's and I have little time to sit down and write there. I'll try and get something out as quick as I can though._

_Hope you like, please review x_


	35. Chapter 35

_Back! I know, I know, it's been a while. Staying at my Dad's was fun, but I missed writing. I came up with some new ideas for stuff, but it's nice to be back to What If :)  
I just looked at my traffic for the first time in a few weeks, and I've finally crossed the point where I have more views than words. It makes me so happy!  
I probably spent most of my time away from What If watching the Olympics. So proud of the little island I call home :D_

/\

**"Mr Lovegood," said Harry "Where's Luna?"**

**"Excuse me?"**

**"Where's Luna?"**

**Xenophilius halted on the top step.**

**"I - I've already told you. She is down at Bottom Bridge, fishing for Plimpies."**

**"So why have you only laid that tray for four?"**

**Xenophilius tried to speak, but no sound came out. The only noise was the continued chugging of the printing press, and slight rattle from the tray as Xenophilius' hands shook.**

Finally drawing enough breath to speak, Xenophilius spoke in a small voice.

"They ... they have my Luna."

Hermione noticed his eyes darting to the window. She drew her wand, Harry and Ron did too. Xenophilius took a few steps back, before dropping the tray. The bowls bounced and smashed, as did the cups. But Hermione wasn't concerned by that. She was too busy looking out the window.

"Harry!" Hermione screamed, drawing his attention.

**Figures on broomsticks were flying past the windows. As the three of them looked away from him, Xenophilius drew his wand. Harry realised their mistake just in time: he launched himself sideways, shoving Ron and Hermione out of harm's way as Xenophilius' stunning spell soared across the room.**

Hermione stumbled to her feet and grabbed Harry and Ron's arms before dragging them out of the front door. The approaching Death Eaters spotted them and drew their wands. But before they could cast a spell Hermione had drawn her own wand, and the Trio disappeared into the crushing darkness.

/\

"Hermione, where are we?"

"I ... I don't know. I panicked."

Hermione looked around. They were standing in a forest clearing. She couldn't work out which forest it was that she had drawn from her memory, but it was definitely familiar.

There was a rustling from behind them and the three whipped around.

"We've got two in one day, I think that's a new record. I bet ... well well, what have we got here?"

Hermione barely had time to think, she flicked her wand at Harry's face, casting a stinging jinx. Harry gasped in pain and grabbed his face, his glasses falling off.

She knew that voice.

Fenrir Greyback stepped out of the darkness of the trees and into the clearing. He was followed by a group of four scraggily wizards: one dragging along a goblin, another restraining someone who seemed even more familiar.

"Dean." Hermione whispered under her breath. Dean Thomas' eyes widened as he saw the trio.

"They're Snatchers!" Ron muttered to Harry and Hermione. "They round up Muggle-borns and 'blood traitors'."

Before he could say anything else, Greyback flicked his wand and Ron was dragged to the floor by invisible ropes. Hermione gasped. He flicked his wand twice more until they were all on the ground.

**"Now, let's see who we've got," said Greyback's gloating voice. He rolled Harry over onto his back.**

**"I'll be needing Butterbeer to wash this one down. What happened to you, ugly?"**

**"Stung," Harry muttered. "Been stung."**

Greyback inspected his face closer. He pushed Harry's hair back with the tip of his wand.

"Scabior, come and look at this."

One of the Snatchers strode forward to stand by Harry's limp body.

"You don't think...?"

Scabior looked at the forest floor around him.

"Aha!"

A grimy hand snatched up a pair of glasses from the leaves and rammed them onto Harry's face.

**"It is!" rasped Greyback. "We've caught Potter!"**

/\

"State your purpose!"

**"We've got Potter!" Greyback roared triumphantly. "We've captured Harry Potter!"**

**The gates swung open. **

**"Come on!" said Greyback to his men, and the prisoners were shunted through the gates and up the drive, between high hedges that muffled their footsteps.**

Hermione looked ahead of the group to see a stately house looming over them. She wondered where they were. Well, she pretended to wonder - she knew, from the sight of the manor, exactly where she was. Each of her hands was gripped tightly onto another - Ron's and Harry's. She was almost shaking with fear. She hoped her spell on Harry's face would be convincing enough. They were pushed over onto the gravel as the front doors of the manor were opened. **Light spilled out over all of them.**

**"What is this?" said a woman's cold voice.**

**"We're here to see He Who Must Not Be Named!" rasped Greyback.**

**"Who are you?"**

**"You know me!" There was resentment in the werewolf's voice, "Fenrir Greyback! We've caught Harry Potter!"**

**Greyback seized Harry and dragged him round to face the light, forcing thr other prisoners to shuffle round too.**

**"I know 'e's swollen, ma'am, but it's 'im!" piped up Scabior. "If you look a bit closer, you'll see 'is scar. And this 'ere, see the girl? The Mudblood who's been travelling around with 'im, ma'am. There's no doubt it's 'im, and we've got 'is wand as well! 'Ere, ma'am -"**

Narcissa inspected the wand that had been thrust into her hands, before looking down at the teenagers in front of her. She had to stifle back a gasp. If it was him, the boy was barely recognisable - a swollen face stared up at her. But that was not what had shocked her. It was the girl with long messy brown hair. There was no denying who she was. Narcissa glanced over her shoulder to see Draco standing at the top of the stairs, wondering who was at their front door.

Narcissa's head snapped back to look at Greyback and Scabior.

**"Bring them in," she said.**

**Hermione and the others were shoved and kicked up broad stone steps, into a hallway lined with portraits. **She looked up to see a large staircase, not unlike the main staircase at Hogwarts. At the top was a tall, thin figure, slightly obscured from view. Hermione's eyes quickly darted away.

**"Follow me," said Narcissa, leading the way across the hall. "My son, Draco, is home. If that is Harry Potter, he will know. Draco!"**

Draco's heart thudded at the name "Harry Potter". He knew, without even looking at the group of people who just entered his home, that she was here. He slowly descended the stairs and followed them into the drawing room.

**The drawing room dazzled after the darkness outside; a crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, more portraits were against the dark purple walls. A figure rose from a chair in front of an ornate marble fireplace as the prisoners were forced into the room by the Snatchers.**

**"What is this?"**

**The dreadfully familiar, drawling voice of Lucius Malfoy fell on Hermione's ears. She was panicking now: she could see no way out.**

**"They say they've got Potter," said Narcissa's cold voice. "Draco, come here."**

Hermione hid her face from Lucius' view, petrified that he would recognise her. Electricity surged through her when a hand brushed against her briefly. Draco walked past her, frightened to look her in the face.

Lucius presented Harry to Draco.

**"Well, Draco?" said Lucius. He sounded avid. "Is it? Is it Harry Potter?"**

Draco stared long and hard at the face before him. His eyes locked on Harry's. Draco knew it was him.

**"I can't - I can't be sure," said Draco. He was keeping his distance from Greyback, and seemed as scared of looking at Harry as Harry was of looking at him. **

"But look at him carefully, look! Come closer!"

Draco looked at Harry again, seeing the pleading in his eyes.

"I -"

The door of the drawing room crashed open behind them. **A woman spoke, and the sound of the voice wound Hermione's fear to an even higher pitch.**

**"What is this? What's happened, Cissy?"**

**Bellatrix Lestrange walked slowly around the prisoners, and stopped in front of Hermione.**

**"But surely," she said quietly, "this is the Mudblood girl? This is Granger?"**

Bellatrix grabbed Hermione's chin and lifted her face up for the room to see. Lucius' eyes lit up. Draco stepped forward towards them, but his father grabbed the back of his jumper and pushed Draco into the chair by the fire.

"It is! It is Granger!" Lucius exclaimed, crossing the room to stand face to face with Hermione. Bellatrix let go of her chin.

**"Well, then, the Dark Lord must be informed at once!"**

**She dragged back her left sleeve: Hermione saw the Dark Mark burned into the flesh of her arm, and knew that she was about to touch it, to summon her beloved master -"**

"I will be the one to call him!" Lucius said, his hand closing on Bellatrix's wrist, preventing her from touching the mark. "_I_ shall summon him, Bella, Potter has been brought to my house, and it is therefore upon my authority -"

**"Your authority!" she sneered, attempting to wrench her hand from his grasp. "You lost your authority when you lost your wand, Lucius! How dare you! Take your hands off me!"**

Lucius let go and she marched away from him.

"Wait!" she shouted, her attention distracted from Lucius, who was about to roll up his sleeve. "What is that?"

She was looking at one of the snatchers. The one who had taken the sword of Gryffindor.

**"Sword," grunted the Snatcher.**

**"Give it to me."**

**"It's not yorn, Missus, it's mine, I reckon I found it."**

**There was a bang and a flash of red light as the Snatcher was stunned. There was a roar of anger from his fellows: Scabior drew his wand.**

**"What d'you think you're playing at, woman?"**

**"**_**Stupefy,**_**" she screamed**_** "stupefy!"**_

**They were no match for her, even though there were four of them against the one of her. They fell to the ground, all except Greyback, who had been forced into the kneeling position, his arms outstretched.**

**"Where did you get this sword?" she whispered to Greyback.**

Greyback didn't reply.

"This sword was sent to my vault in Gringotts! Where did you get it from?"

She slapped the werewolf and turned around.

"Lucius, take this group of scum outside." she indicated to the group of Snatchers lying on the floor.

Lucius was taken aback by this command, but reluctantly complied. Bellatrix stood in the centre of the room, the sword now in her hand.

**"If it is indeed Potter, he must not be harmed," she muttered, more to herself than the others. "The Dark Lord wishes to dispose of Potter himself ... but if he finds out ... I must ... I must know ..."**

**She turned back to her sister again.**

**"The prisoners must be placed in the cellar, while I think of what to do!"**

**"This is my house, Bella, you don't give orders in my -"**

**"Do it! You have no idea of the danger we are in!" shrieked Bellatrix: she looked frightening, mad; a thin stream of fire issued from her wand and burned a hole in the carpet.**

**Narcissa hesitated for a moment, then addressed the werewolf.**

**"Take these prisoners down to the cellar, Greyback." **

**"Wait," said Bellatrix sharply. "All except ... except for the Mudblood."**

/\

"Now Draco, I have a job for you..."

Bellatrix was looking at him with a mischievous expression. The drawing room was empty except for them and Hermione, who was cowering against the wall. Draco rose from his seat slowly, his eyes on Hermione.

"You see," Bellatrix said gently, taking Draco by the hand and leading him closer to Hermione. "I need to find out how Granger got the sword from my vault to her bag. And I need you to help me. I think some Crucios should do the trick -"

"But -"

"No buts Draco, you're the best man for the job. I'll get Cissy and your father so you can prove to them how loyal you are."

Bellatrix cackled as she left the room.

Draco rushed forward and took Hermione in his arms. He kissed her urgently, Hermione felt him hold her body tightly against his, as though he never wanted to let go.

"Hermione..." he moaned, tears escaping his eyes as he pulled away from the kiss and buried his face in her shoulder. "Hermione..."

Hermione kissed his forehead, time stopping around them as they were reunited once more.

"Hermione," he said, "I can't do it."

"You have to." she said sadly.

"I... I just can't."

"Draco," Hermione said, tears clouding her vision of his face. "I've seen you lying on the floor, bleeding to death. And you came out of that just fine. A little Crucio can't hurt me."

Draco let out a small smile, taking her in his arms again.

"My brave little lioness." he whispered, kissing her anew.

/\

"Do it." Bellatrix spat.

Draco stared at Hermione. He reluctantly raised his wand.

"Do it."

"C-Crucio."

Sparks flew from Draco's wand, but nothing happened. Hermione raised her eyebrows.

"Come on, Draco," Lucius said.

"You have to mean it, Draco. You need to really want to cause pain." Bellatrix said. "I'll show you how it's done, shall I? _Crucio!_"

Hermione fell to the floor in pain, a small scream escaping her mouth. It took everything Draco had not to turn his wand on his aunt.

"Your turn."

Draco raised his wand and closed his eyes. He thought of hate, of causing pain. But not to Hermione. To the Dark Lord, for everything he had caused.

_"Crucio!"_

Hermione let out a terrible scream and Draco's eye's snapped back open. She was lying on the ground, writhing in pain.

"Now that's more like it!" Bellatrix smiled. "I think I should take control from now on".

Draco stepped back and was immediately taken into the arms of his mother. He hid the tears that were rolling down his face. He didn't want his father to see.

/\

**"What else did you take, what else? ANSWER ME! CRUCIO!"**

"I don't know."

"You do know. Tell me. Crucio!"

Hermione screamed again, Draco fought with himself as he watched. Only his mother's hand was stopping him from rushing forward.

"Bring the goblin." Bellatrix said, turning to Lucius.

The goblin, Griphook, was brought before her. Bellatrix was holding the sword in her hands once again. **Hermione was lying at Bellatrix's feet. She was barely stirring.**

**"Well?" Bellatrix said to Griphook. "Is it the true sword?"**

Hermione slipped into consciousness, but didn't move. She was holding her breath to hear the goblin's reply. As soon as he did, she blacked out again.

**"No," said Griphook. "It's a fake."**

**"Are you sure?" panted Bellatrix. "Quite sure?"**

**"Yes," said the goblin.**

**Relief broke across her face, all tension drained from it.**

**"Good," she said, and with a casual flick of her wand she slashed a deep cut into the goblin's face, and he dropped with a yell at her feet. She kicked him aside. "And now" she said, in a voice that burst with triumph, "we call the Dark Lord!"**

**"And she pushed back her sleeve and touched her forefinger to the Dark Mark.**

"I do think," Bellatrix went on, rolling her sleeve back down. "that we can dispose of the Mudblood. Greyback will probably want her, he can do with her as he wishes."

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

**Ron had burst into the drawing room; Bellatrix looked round, shocked; she turned her wand to face Ron instead -**

_"Expelliarmus!"_ he roared. Her wand flew through the air and was caught by Harry, who had sprinted in after Ron. He pointed it at Lucius, who had just lunged at him, and shouted _"Stupefy!"_. Lucius collapsed in the hearth. Draco had backed against the wall, but Narcissa had drawn her wand and pointed it at Harry. Greyback had stormed into the room, wand raised. Spells were exchanged, furniture toppled over. Ron and Harry found themselves using a sofa as fortification.

**"STOP OR SHE DIES!"**

**Panting, Harry peered round the edge of the sofa. Bellatrix was supporting Hermione, who seemed to be unconscious, and was holding her short silver knife to Hermione's throat.**

**"Drop your wands," she whispered. "Drop them, or we'll see exactly how filthy her blood is!"**

Draco stood rigid, paralysed with fear.

**"I said drop them!" she screeched, pressing the blade into Hermione's throat: Draco saw beads of blood appear there.**

Harry and Ron dropped their wands.

**"Good!" she leered. "Draco, pick them up! The Dark Lord is coming, Harry Potter! Your death approaches!"**

Draco trembled as he stepped forward and picked the wands up. He backed away again hastily.

Bellatrix was about to speak again, when a noise from above them stopped her. **There was a peculiar grinding noise from above. All of them looked upwards in time to see the crystal chandelier tremble; then, with a creak and an ominous jingling, it began to fall. Bellatrix was directly beneath it; dropping Hermione, she threw herself aside with a scream. The chandelier crashed onto the floor in an explosion of crystal and chains, falling on top of Hermione and the goblin, who was clutching the sword of Gryffindor. Glittering shards of crystal flew in all directions: Draco doubled over, his hands covering his bloody face.**

He looked through his fingers to see Ron running forward and scooping Hermione off the floor, as well as Harry running towards him. Harry snatched the wands from his grip, leaving Draco just enough time to say "make sure Hermione's okay". Narcissa dragged Draco away from further harm. She suddenly directed her wand at the doorway.

**"Dobby!" she screamed. "You! **_**You**_** dropped the chandelier -?"**

**The tiny elf trotted into the room, his shaking fingers pointing at his old mistress.**

**"You must not hurt Harry Potter," he squeaked.**

"How dare you treat your masters like this!" Bellatrix screeched.

**"Dobby has no master!" squealed the elf. "Dobby is a free elf, and Dobby has come to save Harry Potter and his friends!"**

Harry and Ron lunged forwards, supporting Hermione and the goblin between them. Harry grabbed Dobby's hand. They began to spin on the spot, disapparating.

**As Harry turned into darkness, he caught one last view of the drawing room: of the pale, frozen figures of Narcissa and Draco, of the streak of red that was Ron's hair, and a blur of flying silver, as Bellatrix's knife flew across the room and at the place where they were vanishing -**

/\

_I did it. I finally wrote Malfoy Manor. I feel like the whole story had been working up until this point._

_Anyway, not long to go with this story now! Don't think I'll be writing Gringotts because it has no Dramione in it. So really, there's only the Battle for Hogwarts to go!_

_Once again, thanks for reading, please review x_


	36. Chapter 36

_Boring author's note about being busy at work yada yada yada, you don't care anyway because you just want to read the new chapter. Enjoy!_

_(Just a little warning: I'm skimming over a large bit of the book because I don't think there's much to change. Hopefully it won't feel too jumpy)_

/\

**"Dobby, is this Shell Cottage?" he whispered, clutching at the two wands he had brought from the Malfoys', ready to fight if he needed to. "Have we come to the right place?"**

**He looked around. The little elf stood feet from him.**

**"DOBBY!"**

**The elf swayed slightly, stars reflected in his wide, shining eyes. Together, he and Harry looked down at the silver hilt of the knife protruding from the elf's heaving chest.**

**"Dobby - no - HELP!" Harry bellowed towards the cottage, towards the people moving there. "HELP!"**

**"Dobby, no, don't die, don't die -"**

**The elf's eyes found him, and his lips trembled with the effort to form words.**

**"Harry ... Potter ..."**

**And then with a little shudder the elf became quite still, and his eyes were nothing more than great, glassy orbs sprinkled with the light from the stars they could not see.**

/\

Hermione's eyes fluttered open to be greeted with the kind face of Fleur. In her hands was the damp cloth she had been holding to Hermione's forehead.

"You were quite restless when Ron brought you in," Fleur said, "even though you were very weak, you kept saying things under your breath. But once we brought you up here, you settled down."

Hermione looked at her surroundings and realised that she was in a bedroom. The window was open a small amount, and she could hear waves crashing onto the beach in the distance. The sun was now high in the sky.

"How long have I been out?" asked Hermione.

"A couple of hours."

Hermione tried to sit up, but found herself unable to. It was like her body didn't want her to. It ached everywhere.

"Is everybody okay?"

/\

**"Griphook, I need to ask -"**

**"You also rescued a goblin."**

**"What?"**

**"You brought me here. Saved me."**

**"Well, I take it you're not sorry?" said Harry, a little impatiently.**

**"No, Harry Potter," said Griphook, and with one finger he twisted the thin, black beard upon his chin, "but you are a very odd wizard."**

**"Right," said Harry. "Well, I need some help, Griphook, and you can give it to me."**

**The goblin made no sign of encouragements, but continued to frown at Harry as though he had never seen anything like him. **

**"I need to break into a Gringotts vault."**

**Ron and Hermione were staring at Harry as though he had gone mad.**

**"Harry -" said Hermione, but she was cut off by Griphook.**

**"Break into a Gringotts vault?" repeated the goblin, wincing a little as he shifted his position upon the bed. "It is impossible."**

**"No it isn't," Ron contradicted him. "It's been done."**

**"Yeah," said Harry. "The same day I first met you, Griphook. My birthday, seven years ago."**

**"The vault in question was empty at the time, snapped the goblin, and Harry understood that even though Griphook had left Gringotts, he was offended at the idea of its defences being breached. "Its protection was minimal."**

**"Well, the vault we need to get into isn't empty, and I'm guessing its protection will be pretty powerful," said Harry. "It belongs to the Lestranges."**

"Then you have no chance," said Griphook flatly. "No chance at all."

/\

Draco was hiding in his room. There was one hell of a commotion downstairs. He was interested to know what the problem was, but the Dark Lord was currently in the drawing room. And when the Dark Lord was at Malfoy Manor, it never meant good news.

After the 'incident' that occurred a week ago, the Malfoys were not in his good books. Neither, unusually, was Bellatrix. Having Harry Potter in their clutches, but managing to let him escape? They were failures. But in Draco's eyes, they were a success. Hermione was safe. He hoped.

Since the Dark Lord had discovered what happened, Draco and his family had avoided being on the main floor of the house unless absolutely necessary. Draco had managed to take a large stack of books from the library and brought them up to his room, so that he had something to occupy him. It was better than sitting around doing nothing.

Out of curiosity, he left his room and went out onto the landing, hoping to hear what was going on from the top of the stairs. But someone had already beaten him to it. His mother was peering over the banisters, craning her neck in order to hear the loud voices coming from downstairs. She jumped as Draco stepped forward and stood next to her.

"What's going on?" Draco whispered.

"There's been a break in at Gringotts."

Draco was surprised, no-one got into Gringotts. But he knew, with a raucous like this, there was only one culprit.

"Potter couldn't manage it, could he?" Draco muttered under his breath.

"It seems he has," said Narcissa. "He broke in, and made his way down to the Lestrange vault."

"No!"

Narcissa nodded.

"Did they take anything?"

"I'm not sure, that's what they're waiting to hear, I think."

They stood in silence a while, listening to the shouts of various people. They began to hear 'Hogwarts' mentioned over and over again. After a while, Narcissa broke the silence.

"You might want to write to your friends," she said. "Write to them and tell them that this battle is coming to them."

/\

Hermione plunged feet first into the surface of the lake. She hit the water hard, and fell into a freezing, reed-filled world. **She kicked towards the surface and emerged, panting, to see enormous ripples emanating in circles from where Ron and Harry had fallen. The dragon did not seem to have noticed anything: it was already fifty feet away, swooping low over the lake to scoop up water in its scarred snout. As Ron and Harry emerged, spluttering and gasping from the depths of the lake, the dragon flew on, its wings beating hard, and landed at last on a distant bank.**

**Harry, Ron and Hermione struck out for the opposite shore. The lake did not seem to be deep: soon it was more a question of fighting their way through the reeds and mud than swimming, and finally they flopped, sodden, panting and exhausted, on to slippery grass.**

**Hermione collapsed, coughing and shuddering. **Her eyes were tight shut, but she sensed Harry and Ron falling down next to her. She could hear the gasps of Harry's breath.

Ron turned onto his back and pushed himself up, resting his elbows on the ground. He gazed across the lake at the dragon, who was still sitting, quite content, at the other side.

"No chance, my arse." he smiled.

After they spent a few minutes catching their breath, the trio pulled themselves to their feet. **They were wincing as they dabbed essence of dittany on to their many injuries. Hermione handed Harry the bottle, then pulled out three bottles of pumpkin juice she had brought from Shell Cottange and clean, dry robes for all of them. They changed and then gulped down the juice.**

"Well, on the up side," said Ron, finally, "we got the Horcrux. On the down side -"

"- no sword." Hermione muttered, angrily.

They sat in silence again, pensive.

"Where next?" asked Ron.

"Hogwarts." Harry's voice was confident and decisive.

"But how are we going to get in?"

"We'll go to Hogsmeade," said Harry," and try to work something out once we see what the protection around the school is like. Get under the Cloak, Hermione, I want to stick together this time."

"But we don't really fit -"

"It'll be dark, no one's going to notice our feet."

**The flapping of enormous wings echoed across the black water: the dragon had drunk its fill and risen into the air. They paused in their preparations to watch it climb higher and higher, no black against the rapidly darkening sky, until it banished over a nearby mountain. Then Hermione walked forwards and took her place between the other two. Harry pulled the Cloak down as far as it would go, and together they turned on the spot into the crushing darkness.**

/\

Hermione's feet touched the street, she looked through the cloak to see the achingly familiar sight of Hogsmeade High Street: dark shop fronts, and the outline of black mountains beyond the village, and the curve of the road that led off to Hogwarts, and the light spilling from the windows of the Three Broomsticks. Before she could even relax her grip on Ron and Harry's arms, it happened.

**The air was rent by a scream, and she knew immediately that it was their appearance that caused it. Even as she looked at the other two beneath the Cloak, the door of the Three Broomsticks burst open and a dozen cloaked and hooded Death Eaters dashed into the street, their wands aloft.**

"We know you're here, Potter, your little cloak won't save you now! Spread out, he's here."

**Six of the Death Eaters ran towards them: Harry, Ron and Hermione backed, as quickly as possible, down the nearest side street and the Death Eaters missed them by inches. They waited in the darkness, listening to the footsteps running up and down, beams of light flying along the street from the Death Eaters' outstretched wands.**

**"Let's just leave!" Hermione whispered. "Disapparate now!"**

She and Ron took Harry's arm and he raised his wand. They turned on the spot. But nothing happened. The Death Eaters had cast their spells well.

Hermione began to panic, hearing the voices on the high street become louder. They edged further down the side street, **but before they could decide what to do next, there was a grinding of bolts nearby, a door opened on the left-hand side of the narrow street and a rough voice said "Potter, in here, quick!"**

**They obeyed without hesitation: the three of them hurtled through the open doorway.**

/\

Hermione didn't know how they did it. It seemed people were definitely had their backs. Saved by Aberforth Dumbledore, reunited with Neville, and walking through a new secret passageway to Hogwarts before they could even stop to take it all in.

**They turned a corner and there ahead of them was the end of the passage. Another short flight of steps led to a door just like the one hidden behind Ariana's portrait. Neville pushed it open and climbed through. As they followed, Hermione heard Neville call out to unseen people: "Look who it is! Didn't I tell you?"**

/\

**The enchanted ceiling of the Great Hall was dark and scattered with stars, and below it the four long house tables were lined with dishevelled students, some in travelling cloaks, others in dressing gowns. Here and there shone the pearly-white figures of the school ghosts. Every eye, living and dead, was fixed upon Professor McGonagall, who was speaking from the raised platform at the top of the Hall. Behind her stood the remaining teachers, including the palomino centaur, Firenze, and the members of the Order of the Phoenix who had arrived to fight.**

**"... evacuation will be overseen by Mr Filch and Madam Pomfrey. Prefects, when I give the word, you will organise your house and take your charges, in an orderly fashion, to the evacuation point."**

"Hey, Granger!"

Hermione, who had been standing with Harry and the Weasleys, spun around to see a girl in Slytherin robes hurry towards her.

"Greengrass?"

"Yeah, Daphne," Daphne smiled, greeting Hermione like a friend, something that she was quite surprised by. "I got a message from Draco earlier, just thought you should know."

Hermione's heart leapt at the mention of his name, but she managed to stay composed.

"What did he say?"

"He said he was fine, except the Dark Lord was planning an attack on Hogwarts. State the obvious, much? Anyway, they'll probably make him fight so -"

**But her final words were drowned as a different voice echoed throughout the Hall. It was high, cold and clear: there was no telling from where it came; it seemed to issue from the walls themselves. Like the monster it had once commanded, it might have lain dormant there for centuries.**

**"I know that you are prepared to fight." There were screams amongst students, some of whom clutched each other, looking around in terror for the source of the sound. "Your efforts are futile. You cannot fight me. I do now want to kill you. I have great respect for the teachers at Hogwarts. I do not want to spill magical blood."**

**There was silence in the Hall now, the kind of silence that presses against eardrums, that seems too huge to be contained by walls.**

**"Give me Harry Potter," said Voldemort's voice, "and none shall be harmed. Give me Harry Potter, and I shall leave the school untouched. Give me Harry Potter and you will be rewarded.**

**"You have until midnight."**

/\

_I thought you'd like to know that I only plan to write one more chapter. The end is coming! I'm going to strive to get it done before the week is out, because I'm going back to university my new house won't have internet for a month. I don't know how I'll survive. Am going to walk around town with my laptop and find the free WiFi..._

_For people who have also read my story, A Lovesick Rose, they'll know my policy on writing Fleur's (and other French characters') accent. I feel like it just reads a bit strange so I stick to writing it normally. I also apologise for quite a quote-heavy chapter._

_Anyhoo, thank you so much for reading, I'll give you more to read soon x_


	37. Chapter 37

_So here it is: the last chapter of What If._

_I feel like I've been writing this story forever, it seems sad that it's finally over..._

/\

"Hermione!"

"Ron, where have you been?" Hermione shouted frantically, as Ron came hurrying towards her, dodging crowds of people making preparations to fight.

"Come with me," said Ron, drawing Hermione into an broom cupboard. "I was in the Chamber of Secrets."

"But, how? How did you get into the Chamber? And why?"

"I just tried to make the sounds that Harry did when he opened the locket, and I thought ..."

Ron took from his pockets two great, curved fangs.

"We can use them to get rid of Horcruxes!"

"Ron, you're a genius!"

/\

_I need the place where everything is hidden._

**The furore of the battle died the moment they crossed the threshold and closed the door behind them: all was silent. They were in a place the size of a cathedral with the appearance of a city, its towering walls built of objects hidden by thousands of long-gone students.**

**"And he never realised **_**anyone**_** could get in?" said Ron, his voice echoing in the silence.**

**"He thought he was the only one," said Harry, "Too bad for him I've had to hide stuff in my time ... this way," he added, "I think it's down here ..." **

**He passed the stuffed troll and the Vanishing Cabinet Draco Malfoy had mended last year with such disastrous consequences, then hesitated, looking up and down the aisles of junk; he could not remember where to go next ..."**

"We should split up." said Ron.

And so they took separate routes through the piles of junk. From armchairs and desks, to statues and empty bottles, this room had it all. And somewhere there was the diadem. They just needed to find it.

"Eurgh, it's like searching for a needle in a haystack." Hermione muttered under her breath, rummaging through a pile of discarded objects. She didn't hear the footsteps behind her.

The tap on her shoulder made her jump out of her skin, but when she turned around and saw who it was, she wasn't scared. She was overcome with happiness.

"Draco!" she squealed, jumping into his arms.

She grinned into his shoulder as they embraced, but then she was overcome with a sudden realisation. The battle must have started.

"How did you get in here?" she asked, pulling away.

**"I virtually lived in the Room of Hidden Things all last year, I know how to get in."**

He paused for a moment to take in her face. It had been too long. If you didn't count her visit to Malfoy Manor. That was an evening that Draco never wanted to think about again.

"I got sent to Hogwarts yesterday with Crabbe and Goyle, they're in here somewhere. Where are Potter and Weasley?"

"We split up to find the..."

Before she had finished, Draco had grabbed her hand and pulled her along to a crossroads in the paths between piles of objects.

"We've got to find them before Crabbe and Goyle do!"

After running down the cramped aisles, they found them. Ron, Harry, Crabbe and Goyle. They were in a standoff, about to duel.

**With a whip-like movement, Crabbe pointed his wand at the fifty-foot mountain of old furniture, of broken trunks, of old books and robes and unidentifiable junk and shouted, '**_**Descendo!**_**'"**

**The wall began to totter, then crumbled into the aisle next door to where Ron stood.**

Draco let go of Hermione's hand and raised his wand, shouting, _'Finite!'_.

**"No!" he shouted, staying Crabbe's arm as the latter made to repeat his spell. "If you wreck teh room, you might bury this diadem thing!"**

**"What does it matter?" said Crabbe, tugging himself free. "It's Potter the Dark Lord wands, who cared about a die-dum?"**

**"Potter came here to get it," said Malfoy with ill-disguised impatience at the slow-wittedness of his colleagues, "so that must mean -"**

**"'Must mean'?" Crabbe turned on Malfoy with undisguised ferocity. "Who cares what you think? I don't take your orders no more, **_**Draco. **_**You an' your dad are finished."**

Draco flicked his wand and Crabbe crashed backwards into a pile of armchairs, taking Goyle with him. The chairs wobbled, before beginning to fall. Draco, Hermione, Harry and Ron just managed to get away before Crabbe and Goyle were buried.

"Thanks, Malfoy." Ron called over his shoulder as they stumbled along the aisle.

"It's somewhere here!" Harry said, stopping to rummage around. Ron followed suit. But Hermione and Draco didn't. They were looking back from where they had came.

"HARRY!" Hermione screamed.

**A roaring, billowing noise behind him gave him a moment's warning. He turned and saw both Crabbe and Goyle running as hard as they could up the aisle towards them.**

**"Like it hot, scum?" roared Crabbe as he ran.**

**But he seemed to have no control over what he had done. Flames of abnormal size were pursuing them, licking up the sides of the junk bulwarks, which were crumbling to soot at their touch.**

**"**_**Aguamenti!**_**" Harry bawled, but the jet of water that soared from the tip of his wand evaporated in the air.**

**"RUN!"**

Hermione turned and ran as fast as she could, constantly glancing over her shoulder to make sure everyone was okay. And to check the progress of the flames. **Now the fire was mutating, forming a gigantic pack of fiery beasts: flaming serpents, Chimaeras and dragons rose and fell and rose again, and the detritus of centuries on which they were feeding was thrown up in the air and into their fanged mouths, tossed high on clawed feet, before being consumed by the inferno.**

**"What can we do?" Hermione screamed over the deafening roars of the fire. "What can we do?"**

**"Here!"**

**Harry seized three heavy-looking broomsticks from the nearest pile of junk and threw one to Ron and one to Draco. **Draco pulled Hermione onto it behind him, and pushed off into the air with a hard kick. So did Harry and Ron.

"Wait!" Draco shouted to them. "Crabbe and Goyle!"

**"It's - too - dangerous -!" Ron yelled. **

"There they are!" shouted Harry, pointing back towards the fire.

Crabbe and Goyle were climbing a huge pile of desks as the flames gained ever nearer. Harry and Ron flew towards them, battling the heat. Goyle clambered up onto Ron's broom, but before Harry could get Crabbe onto his Crabbe slipped, and the flames consumed him as he fell.

"We've got to get out of here!" Hermione shouted.

It was almost impossible to see what was in front of them. They swerved between piles of junk, ever pursued by the fire. **Then, through the smoke, Draco saw a rectangular patch on the wall and steered the broom at it, and moments later clean air filled his lungs and they collided with the wall in the corridor beyond.**

/\

"Draco you've got to take Goyle and get back to the other side, before anyone suspects!"

Hermione gestured to the motionless body of Goyle, who had been knocked out by the collision with the stone walls of the corridor.

"But -"

"It's the only way!"

Draco looked at Harry and Ron. They nodded. Draco began to pace over to Goyle, before changing his mind and turning around.

"One last thing before I go..."

He stepped towards Hermione, taking her in his arms and pulling her off the ground and he kissed her. Hermione wrapped her arms around his neck, smiling into the kiss. Ron raised his eyebrows, Harry coughed.

**"Is this the moment?" Harry asked weakly, and when nothing happened except that Draco and Hermione gripped each other still more firmly and swayed on the spot, he raised his voice. "OI! There's a war going on here!"**

Hermione and Draco broke apart, Draco put her back down gently.

"I know," Draco smiled, "But it's now or never, isn't it?"

/\

Hermione did not see Draco again for some time. She fought alongside her friends in the castle. She watched as Fred, Lupin and Tonks fell, along with many others. Her eyes were clouded with tears as she saw all the bodies laid out in the Great Hall once the fighting had stopped. She buried her face in Ron's chest as Bill and Arthur brought Fred's body in. It was too much to take.

Harry had disappeared. It was worrying Hermione as the time Voldemort had given him to surrender was nearly up. She knew where he was. There was no way he'd let more people die. Harry was in the forest.

Draco found Hermione as the Death Eaters and Voldemort were walking up the driveway to the Entrance Hall. Everyone had collected in the shadow of the tall oak doors. Draco took Hermione's hand and kissed it. Hermione felt safe, until she saw what was in Hagrid's arms.

"NO!"

There were shouts of disbelief as Hagrid walked forward, flanked by Death Eaters. In his arms was Harry's limp body.

**"SILENCE!" cried Voldemort, and there was a band and a flash of bright light, and silence was forced upon them all. "It is over! Set him down, Hagrid, at my feet, where he belongs!"**

Hagrid lowered Harry on to the grass.

**"You see?" said Voldemort. "Harry Potter is dead! Do you understand now, deluded ones? He was nothing, ever, but a boy who relaied on others to sacrifice themselves for him!"**

Hermione stared blankly at Harry's motionless body. Draco's eyes were fixed on his parents, standing in the group of Death Eaters. His mother was searching for him.

**"He was killed," Voldemort continued, "while trying to sneak out of the castle grounds. Killed while trying to save himself."**

There was a bang as a spell was cast to Draco and Hermione's right. Voldemort deflected it and disarmed Neville, who fell to the ground. The Death Eaters laughed.

"And who is this?" asked Voldemort.

**Bellatrix gave a delighted laugh.**

**"It is Neville Longbottom, my Lord! The boy who has been giving the Carrows so much trouble! The son of the Aurors, remember?"**

Neville struggled to get to his feet.

"Ah yes," said Voldemort. "You show spirit, boy, as well as bravery. And you come from noble stock too. You will make a very valuable Death Eater. We need your kind, Neville Longbottom."

**"I'll join you when hell freezes over," said Neville, "Dumbledore's Army!" he shouted, and there was an answering cheer from the crown, whom Voldemort's silencing charms seemed unable to hold.**

"Very well," Voldemort sighed. "I didn't want to have to do this to a pure blood. But it needs to be done. An example needs to be set to those who do not obey."

Voldemort raised his wand. He was about to put a stop to Neville's life, when Harry Potter got to his feet. Voldemort's eyes widened in shock as Harry disappeared underneath his invisibility cloak. Draco felt Hermione's hand grip tight against his as this happened, his heart beat harder as he was overwhelmed with surprise and relief.

**"HARRY!" Hagrid shouted, "HARRY - WHERE'S HARRY?"**

**Chaos reigned. The charging centaurs were scattering the Death Eaters, everyone was fleeing the giants' stamping feet, and nearer and nearer thundered the reinforcements that had come from who knew where; Hermione saw great winged creatures soaring around the heads of Voldemort's giants. Thestrals and Buckbeak the hippogriff scratching at their eyes while Grawp punches and pummelled them, and now the wizards, defenders of Hogwarts and Voldemort's Death Eaters alike, were being forced back into the castle. Hermione was shooting jinxes and curses at any Death Eater she could see, and many crumpled to the ground.**

"Stay near to me!" Draco shouted. "I'm not letting you get away again!"

/\

_"Avada Kedavra!"_

_"Expelliarmus!"_

**The bang was like a cannon-blast and the golden flames that erupted between them, at the dead centre of the circle they had been treading, marked the point where the spells collided.**

Voldemort's green jet met Harry's spell, and the Elder Wand flew high into the air. **And Harry, with the unerring skill of the seeker, caught the wand in his free hand as Voldemort fell backwards, arms splayed, the slit pupils of his scarlet eyes rolling upwards. Tom Riddle hit the floor with a mundane finality, his body feeble and shrunken, the white hands empty, the snake-like face vacant and unknowing. Voldemort was dead, killed by his own rebounding curse, and Harry stood with two wands in his hand, staring down at his enemy's shell.**

/\

They walked along the shore of the lake, ignoring the castle behind them. They had escaped the Great Hall, which was full of activity. Draco had left his parents, who were currently sitting at one of the house tables, huddled together and unsure whether they were supposed to be there. Hermione had left her friends and lead Draco outside. They had passed the marble staircase, which was now missing large chunks of stone, part of the balustrade, and was covered in rubble and bloodstains. They passed all the people milling around and found somewhere quiet.

They sat down on the pebbles and looked across the lake to see the sun beginning to rise on the horizon. Looking out across the water, they saw the giant squid come to the surface, checking to see whether it was all over.

Draco lay back against the ground and put his hands behind his head. Hermione turned her head and watched him.

"What?"

"Nothing" Hermione said innocently, smiling.

"So," said Draco, turning to look at her. "What happens now?"

/\

_I can't believe I'm done. Over 2 1/2 years I've spent on this. Jeez._

_Thank you for reading! I do plan on writing another fic or two, but not right away. To prevent you from the awful pains of waiting for updates, I'm going to write the whole story before I upload. It seems easier._

_Again, thank you so so much for reading this story, and for the favourites and reviews. It means so much. _

_LemonCheese_

_xox_


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